


The Queen Of Peace

by Omoni, PhalinRed



Series: Abovetale [12]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, OC Goatchild, POLITIIIIIICS, Some Violence (non-graphic)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-19
Packaged: 2018-06-01 21:01:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 34,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6536164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Omoni/pseuds/Omoni, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhalinRed/pseuds/PhalinRed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to the last major project of my Abovetale series! I say major, because I know I have many one-shots left, but for projects this long? Highly doubtful.</p><p>This story occurs a year after the events of "All This And Heaven Too", which is also a sequel to "Too Heavy a Burden", which is also a sequel to "Delilah". So don't read this thing unless you've read the others. </p><p>Some warnings:<br/>-violence<br/>-politics<br/>-oc child character</p><p>And if there's more I will add. </p><p>Like the previous three, this one borrows its title and chapter names from a song, called "The Queen of Peace" by Florence + The Machine. It's a beautiful song, one I love to listen to over and over when writing Undertale fic, so I recommend it. </p><p>I'd like to add an additional thanks to PhalinRed for support, awesomeness, and allowing me to borrow a couple of his characters. Do read his stuff. DO IT.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Blood Is Running Deep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what? This fanfic has fanart! Ee! Two pictures by the same artist, one of Nicky and one of Frisk, linked below. Thank you SO MUCH SprFlamyRainWing!! I'm so happy! Thank you!!!
> 
> Nicky: http://sprflamyrainwing.deviantart.com/art/Nicky-650341066
> 
> Frisk: http://sprflamyrainwing.deviantart.com/art/Frisk-650341743

Years into the future, when there was another anniversary to be celebrated, there was one person, standing on the border of both worlds, who asked hard questions. Her parents tried the best they could, but even they had trouble, sometimes, trying to figure out the right thing to say to one so young.

But then, Frisk had been almost as young when it all began, so perhaps naiveté wasn't an issue.

"Mami," said this child now, holding her mother's hand tightly. Frisk smiled down at her, squeezing her hand tight. "Was there ever a time before this?" she wondered.

"Before what, dear Nicky?" Frisk asked, kneeling down before her daughter to hold both of her hands tight.

"Before _this_. Before we could all live so nicely." Nicky had her father's eyes, and it always warmed Frisk to see them so bright and curious.

"Of course," Frisk agreed. "There are always time of strife before joy, a storm before the flowers can bloom."

They were in the backyard of New New Home, standing now amidst a bed of golden flowers that Asgore had planted in one corner of the yard - and that had spread faster than dandelions. Nicky loved the flowers and did all she could to spend time there, her strong, always-bare feet coming home stained yellow on short white fur.

"What was it like?" Nicky wondered, now sitting down in a deep patch of flowers, her tail wagging a bit in anticipation. She loved stories, almost as much as her grandmother did.

Frisk sat down in front of her, hands still holding her daughter's, Nicky's long fingers ending in blunt claws. "Well," said Frisk, "It sucked."

Nicky giggled in delight, loving it when Frisk used that kind of language with her. Asriel was always far too cautious now with his words to even risk dropping a curse, putting Asgore almost to shame with how clean he could be, but Frisk remembered being a girl of that age, and knew better than to assume Nicky had "delicate" ears.

"Your Papi and I couldn't legally get married for a long, long time," Frisk continued, and Nicky scowled. "I know!" Frisk agreed, giving her daughter's light-brown bangs a gentle ruffle. "But that was how things were back then. It could have been worse, yes, but it wasn't much better - especially near the end."

Nicky tugged on one of her ears; hers were much like Asriel's in shape, large and floppy, and far more sensitive. She did this whenever she wanted to ask a tough question, and Frisk nodded to her. "Go ahead."

"Mami... can you tell me about it?" she asked shyly. "Before the... Meaty?"

"Treaty," corrected Frisk.

"Treaty. Can you tell me what it was like?"

Frisk shifted a bit, her own hand at her own ear, now. "Are you sure you want to hear that? It's not really a happy story, until the end, at least."

"I know," Nicky admitted. "But I want to know."

"It's also very long, Nicky."

"Ehmpa said dinner was gonna be a while..."

Frisk held up her hands in surrender, smiling. Nicky was always very, very, clever. "Okay, my dear," she agreed. "But remember: it's sad until the end, so be brave, got it?" And she gave Nicky a gentle touch to her downy cheek.

When her daughter nodded, her face serious and set, Frisk began.


	2. One: Some Things Never Sleep

It didn't take long for the news to get out that Asriel and Frisk had gotten married - illegally - using monster rites instead of human.

By the time half a year had passed, they had received more death threats than congratulations, each one Asriel burnt with a scowl. There was a huge dip in approval of them as a couple, and the harassment - unchanged - merely shifted direction to abusive. This resulted in Frisk having to quit being a TA, as most of the human parents felt they couldn't trust her.

Her job as Ambassador was untouchable, as she was truly the only one who could do it, but she still suffered from her 'fellow' politicians' ire; being accused at every turn of a personal vendetta or perhaps a hundred. Most of the motions she proposed, despite being needed, were often purposefully delayed, which meant that not only did she suffer, but so did those for whom she fought.

No amount of fire could cure the damage done by their subterfuge, but neither she nor Asriel backed down or dissolved their vows, which in turn made most of her coworkers enraged. She often wondered what they had expected after treating her the way they had, banning her of her right to marry the one person she loved so much she'd die for - _had_ , even. Did they expect her to toe the line, to obey their stagnant laws?

After almost ten years of her being Ambassador from such a young age, they _still_ didn't know how determined she was?

Once, she came home in her usual hiding clothes, and when Asriel saw the tears streaking down from her sunglasses, he leapt from the computer, rushing to her side and taking her hands, asking her what was wrong.

Then he smelt it: the smell of rotten food.

"I need a shower," she said hollowly, pulling her hands away. "And to learn some kind of explosive magic."

"I wish you could," Asriel growled. "Where was it? Who? Tell me and I'll explode the shit out of them, Frisk."

She lowered her head and brushed past him, peeling off her ruined coat and hoodie without another word, though her shoulders shook.

Frisk didn't cry easily, so when she did, it was usually serious. Asriel, the one most prone to tears, knew this, and stayed at her side, taking her hands to stop her.

"Let me help you get cleaned up, Frisk," he offered gently.

She paused, then very slowly nodded, her face crumpling.

They showered together carefully, Frisk's sobs mingling with the shower water and triggering tears from Asriel from empathy. She was despondent, barely moving as she cried, and he gently washed the dirt and slime away with soft hands, kissing her every chance he could.

Each time he kissed her, she sobbed again quietly, and he held her close, letting the water go cold before they got out.

Asriel dried her off, then led her to the bedroom, curling up naked with her beneath the blankets, and she finally sobbed her humiliation out, unable to control it.

It was embarrassing, unfair, and heartbreaking - and completely undeserving.

"Asriel," whispered Frisk suddenly, sounding tired. "Tell me something?"

"Anything," he whispered back, stroking her wet hair.

"When I saved you, that first time... when you had the other kids' souls... Chara... She was gone, wasn't she?"

Asriel was silent, but his hands began to shake. He couldn't think of how to respond, so she went on.

"When you became Flowey at first, you let Chara's soul rule, but when I saved you, she left you... didn't she?"

"Frisk, why are you asking me this?" he asked, voice wavering.

"I don't know," she admitted, her eyes dark. "It's bothered me, and there's never a good time to ask."

Asriel moved the hair from the side of her neck and kissed her there lightly. "You're.... way too smart," he murmured, nodding.

"So those horrible things...?"

 _"I_ did," he said firmly. "By not fighting her when she asked me to do them. She just helped make it easier." Frisk turned to him, and saw he was weeping. "It was _your_ soul, too, when you saved me again, that cleansed me of her for good."

"So you lied to me," she said softly. "When you said _you_ did all of those horrible things."

"Sort of. No. Yes. I know. I'm sorry. But..." He hesitated, "Why are you bringing this up right now?"

Frisk curled up against him, her eyes shut, her tears silent. "I... I just... needed to know."

He knew there was more to it than that, but he let it go. At this moment, she needed him, regardless of non-sequitur, and he would always do his best for her, as much as he could.

When she fell asleep, he held her close, regretting that he had never told her sooner, but wondered why it came up so suddenly.

Asriel knew she'd tell him when she was ready, but the waiting was hard.

* * *

 Frisk must have dozed off, because the next she remembered smelling something wonderful. She sat up, finding herself in the entire pile of blankets, her hair a mess but her mind calmer. She peered around the door and saw Asriel was cooking.

He was actually quite a good cook, though he'd only admit it to her. He looked up and smiled, then blushed slightly when his eyes fell on her. She didn't mind; instead, she walked over and hugged him from behind tight, closing her eyes.

He paused in his cooking to lean back, and she sighed.

"I'm making us noodles," he said. "Is that okay?"

"It's perfect," she agreed gently, resting her forehead on his back. He was wearing pyjama bottoms but nothing else, and the feel of his soft, downy skin was so comforting that she wanted to weep again - but just managed not to.

They stood in silence as the noodles cooked; nothing needed to be said. Only when the noodles were done did Frisk go to pull on her own pyjama bottoms. Once she returned, Asriel had the meal served and the TV on to the news channel. Normally, Frisk would protest, but this time she sat down beside him and watched.

A human news anchor was talking in front of a silent video of Frisk's rude attack. Frisk, on screen, looked haunted, angry and desperate to be anywhere else, as fellow humans pelted her with the second-oldest ammunition ever known.

"Ambassador Dreemurr was assaulted today by several protestors of interracial marriage. As we know, she and the son of the former monarchs of the Underground were illegally married half a year ago using monster rites. As time goes on and they remain together, anger is also increasing against them."

"No shit," Asriel snorted. "Too bad they don't ask _us_ how _we_ feel."

"Tensions continue to mount as the date of the anniversary of the barrier breaking looms closer," the anchor continued, the video behind her now showing various stills of Frisk and her friends, trying to avoid the cameras (save Papyrus, who loved the attention). "As both Ambassador Dreemurr and her partner, Asriel, continue to push for interracial marriage, humans are starting to protest, which includes today's aggressive attack as their latest. It's not known at this time if the Ambassador has any response to the incident."

"It sucked," Frisk muttered, before slurping a long mouthful of noodles rather aggressively.

"We did manage to get an interview with one of the most well-known monsters of her circle, however. Here's part of it."

And suddenly there was sans. He was smiling, but his eyes - though normal - were rather dim, and his arms were crossed over his chest, his fists clenched.

"what you've done to frisk is _disgusting,"_ he said sharply, shocking both Frisk and Asriel. "all she wants is peace for everyone, and by attacking her - shaming her - all you've done is made it worse for us, but also for you. now leave me alone, or _you're gonna have a bad time."_

 _"Holy shit,"_ Frisk and Asriel said together - before laughing.

"I can't believe he did that!" Frisk added.

"Me, neither," Asriel admitted. "I don't even think he's been on TV before. Has he?"

"Not on purpose."

"Why would he do that, then?" wondered Asriel,

Frisk shrugged, her eyes back on the TV, as the anchor was going on. Her eyes were narrowed, her ears turning red.

"...Dreemurr has made no secret that she is a monster," Councillor Carlson was now saying. "So of course she'd not only fake-marry one, but flaunt it in everyone's faces."

"You see the Ambassador that way?" a different reporter asked.

 _"She_ sees _herself_ that way."

"That's true," Frisk growled, "but it doesn't make _him_ any less of a jerk."

"What an asshole, making monster sound like a bad word," Asriel added. "He just insulted a third of the population!"

"More than that." Frisk grumbled.

"You hold that much animosity for the Ambassador, don't you, Councillor?" the reporter wondered lightly.

"Animosity is a strong word," answered Carlson. "Rather, I find her methods aggressive. She foists her own personal opinions on the rest of us and expects us all to agree, just because of what she's done."

"Even you must admit, sir, that she has done much good."

"I don't have to admit any such thing. Freeing the monsters was the worst thing anyone could have done."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because now, it's all chaos."

Frisk's eyes filled suddenly, and she slammed her bowl onto the coffee table before storming out to the den.

Asriel got up and went after her, finding her glaring at the bookshelves, shaking so hard her tears fell to the floor.

Asriel was stunned. It wasn't like her to be so prone to tears, and yet here she was, crying again.

"Frisk," Asriel murmured, his own eyes filling, and she turned to him, before grabbing him into a hug, much like he did with her when _he_ cried. Wordlessly, he held her as she sobbed, her tears mingling with his.

"I quit," she burst out, her voice choked. "I'm a failure and I _quit._ I've done _nothing_ right, Asriel! I'm terrible at this job! I... I..."

"No..." Asriel said softly, stroking her still-damp hair gently. "You've done wonderfully. I've watched you, and I've seen the changes you've made. You've done such a good job, love. You can't give up."

"I can't stand them," she growled.

"And I don't blame you. They're assholes, and have no idea how good they have it."

"I _hate_... I _hate_ them..."

 _"No."_ Asriel reached up and cupped her tear-streaked face into his hands. Her eyes blazed, and he gently kissed her nose. "Hate isn't good for you, Frisk. The more you hate, the more like them you become."

Her eyes searched his, and she bit her lip hard, sniffling. He kissed her nose again, and she shut her eyes tight.

 _"You're not alone,"_ he reminded her, just like she had said to him when he felt just as helpless and afraid - and ready to give up, too.

She nodded slowly, and he hugged her, holding her as she cried.


	3. Two: Suddenly I'm Overcome

Late into the night, Frisk was writing during the dark hours between night and day, and she'd been at her desk for hours. Around her feet were countless crumpled sheets of paper like discarded snowpoffs, but still she worked, her eyes bright and her tongue out, trying to find the right words, the right phrasing.

She knew she had to, because she knew that what she was writing could very well be one of the most important things of her life.

It was almost ten years to the week - her "Fallday" was the following week - and she was fed up. She was tired of being stone-walled, of being insulted, of always being denied.

This wasn't just about herself anymore, but about everyone around her that she loved and knew and didn't even know. It was about _everyone_.

Occasionally, tears would fall on the paper, and she'd have to start again, but she wasn't giving up. She had to get the wording right, or else she'd lose her chance, and she knew she'd only have one.

She was working so hard that she didn't even hear Asriel, or know he was awake until his arms were around her shoulders, stopping her in mid-sentence.

She leaned back at once, and he rested his chin on the top of her head. "Hi," she said softly, closing her eyes.

"Howdy. What the hell are you doing up so late, you idiot?" he wondered. Despite the words, his tone was gentle and full of affection, and the love and concern there was obvious. It was just his way.

"Trying to save the world," said Frisk sadly.

"With words?"

"They're all I have."

"No," Asriel corrected, leaning down and nuzzling her cheek with his. "You have determination, remember?"

"It's not doing me any good."

Asriel was silent for a moment, still cheek-to-cheek, noticing that hers was damp. "Frisk, are you alright?"

Frisk bit her lip, but said nothing, so he asked again, and she shut her eyes. "I feel weird," she admitted. "But I don't know why."

"Weird, how?"

"Overly sensitive. Angry. Crying. That kind of thing."

Asriel thought about it for a moment. "Are you getting sick?"

She shook her head. "No. I don't know. Maybe. I wish it were that simple. I'm just... scared I'm losing my drive to fight, Asriel. To be the Ambassador."

Asriel knelt down beside her and looked right into her eyes; they were tired and bloodshot, dim and confused. "And yet here you are, writing and writing, fighting, anyway."

She smiled faintly. "I don't even know if it'll matter."

"It will, Frisk, because _you_ matter."

"Asriel?"

He nodded.

"Please, take me to bed."

He smiled, stood up, and took her hands again, bringing her to her feet. Together, they did just that, the papers forgotten - just for that moment. It was exactly what Frisk needed.

* * *

"Papi, I need your help."

Asgore smiled at his daughter and invited her inside New New Home. It was the weekend, and Toriel was running errands both Underground and on the surface with Asriel, so Frisk took the opportunity to talk with him. She had a thick folder under her arm, and once they sat down together, she had it open and spread out its contents before them both.

"Golly, Frisk," he said, eyeing the stacks of papers. "Is this a novel?"

"Don't be silly," she laughed. "This is a treaty."

Asgore stared at her, first with obvious surprise, then bright pride. "My daughter," he said softly, reaching out and touching her face with his hand gently.

"Don't be so cheerful yet," Frisk warned as she handed him one stack. "I need your help picking the right one. These are ten of the best ones here, and they all will tick someone off, so I need the one that does it the least."

"Frisk, did you do all of this on your own?" Asgore wondered, as she spread out the other nine.

"Sort of," she admitted a trace shyly. "Asriel kept me alive with coffee and noodles."

He laughed, and she smiled happily at that. "Well, I don't mind reading these over at all, dear."

"There's a catch," she admitted.

"Oh?"

"I need you to talk to the mayor." She frowned, gritting her teeth, her anger bubbling up so suddenly it almost hurt.

Her emotions were getting harder and harder to control lately, and she figured it was because she'd had to quit her teaching job - something she loved - as well as the ongoing, constant stress.

Asgore noticed and placed his hand over hers, noticing how it shook with barely-restrained anger, and something familiar clicked in his brain, something small and not quite coherent, yet, but almost.

"What do you want me to talk to her about?" he asked. It was no secret that he and the mayor got along quite well, after all: they were both laid-back old-school politicians who liked the game of it all.

"I need you to ask her for a political press conference. If I can get this passed, I want everyone to see its proposal. Even if it doesn't, I want there to be a record of it anyway."

"But proposing it to the press, Frisk?" Asgore echoed. "Is that wise?"

"Yes." Frisk's hand clenched beneath Asgore's, and he held it tighter. She felt better from that. "Even if it fails. It's important to get out there. I'm not going to stop fighting, Papi, not even close - failure or not."

Asgore met her eyes and saw her determination proving her words true, and was so proud of her in that moment, so unbelievably proud. "If anyone can," he said softly, "it's _you."_

Frisk smiled warmly, then gestured to the piles of papers. "So, these are all different versions of the same thing," she explained again. "I need the best one, and I trust you to pick it."

Asgore looked at the one he held closely. "'The Ten-Year Treaty,'" he read aloud.

She nodded. "I want to present it on the day I turn twenty."

"That's a neato idea!" he exclaimed with a grin. "It brings it all to a circle, and makes it easy for everyone to remember!"

Frisk grinned back. "Exactly, Papi!"

Asgore took a few moments to read the stacks, Frisk also reading them over before handing him one to edit anything she may have missed before. Every so often, he'd pick up two at a time to compare, but as time went on, he clearly favoured one above the rest, and that was the one that she had chosen herself, the one that she was most proud of.

"My dear," he said with a smile, holding it up and setting the others aside in a neat pile. "It's this one."

Frisk sat up straighter and beamed. "Really, Papi?"

"Really, daughter," he said honestly.

"That's the last one I wrote, just this morning!" Frisk admitted, a trace shy. "It was as if everything fell into place and together, _finally_ making sense."

"It shows," Asgore agreed. "You're respectful but firm. You offer compromise, but at the expense of no one. It's a wonderful treaty."

"Do you think it could actually work, Papi?"

"Absolutely," he said with no hesitation. "At your hands, yes. Without question." He paused. "You sent this to the mayor, and she said no?"

"Crombie said no," Frisk answered, her face falling. "That's why I wanted you to ask the mayor yourself. She likes _you."_

Asgore sighed in a long-suffering manner. "She likes to put me on the spot and make me look silly."

"You don't make it too hard, Papi!" Frisk giggled.

"Did you know, the other day, she saw me in that fancy car of hers at the supermarket and honked her horn at me through the window until I came out to say hello?" he admitted.

Frisk laughed so hard she almost fell over.

"Oh, it gets worse. She then followed me home in that car - as I walked - to make sure I got home safely. _Her_ words, not mine."

This time Frisk did fall out of her chair. "I thought Mami was exaggerating!" she cried from the floor.

Asgore sighed, covering his eyes. "I wish."

Frisk climbed back into her seat. _"Now_ do you see why I think you'd be able to convince her?" she said once she could, her face red and shining.

"Yes," he agreed, looking pathetic. "May I keep this? I can show her in person and convince her from there."

Frisk nodded. "Of course. I already made copies."

"Then I'll see what I can do."

"Thank you, Papi." Frisk smiled. She felt as if things were finally looking up.

Had they known, they would never of done it.

* * *

Frisk was asleep on Asriel's lap, which wasn't unusual, given the night before. She'd spent maybe an hour asleep with him before going back to the den to write, and he eventually woke up and helped her along.

Now home, all she could do was sleep. But what was odd about this sleep was how _heavy_ it was; she'd drifted off in the middle of speaking. Granted, her speech was slurred and slow with exhaustion, but it still surprised Asriel: that was usually _his_ way of sleeping.

He held her close and watched TV with the sound low and the captions on, not liking what he saw. It was again Carlson, Frisk's biggest opponent, talking yet again about Frisk, herself.

"What exactly do we _know_ about Dreemurr?" he was saying. "We know she chanced upon an underground world at Mount Ebott, and stayed there for who knows how long, only to be the only human known to come out. She's admitted this herself, more than once."

 _Because she has nothing to hide,_ Asriel thought bitterly.

"We have no idea how she did it. We have no idea what it was like before she got there, or even during. All we know is what we know now. Nearly a decade of exposure with the monsters and we know little, so little, of our supposed Ambassador. How can _anyone_ trust her? How have _we_ trusted her for so long?"

 _Because she has nothing to hide!_ Asriel thought again, wishing he could scream it loud enough for the bastard to hear - and actually comprehend.

The interviewer paused, then asked, obviously careful, "The humans of our city seem to be doing rather well with the monsters, sir."

"Because they're manipulated!" Carlson answered. "Dreemurr - which isn't even her real name, just a name the monsters gave her after taking her as one of their own - from such a young age, has manipulated and coerced everyone around her. The fact that no one claimed her as theirs when she returned is also a red flag no one talks about!"

"Or maybe it speaks volumes of her courage, sir," the interviewer said sharply, surprising Asriel.

"Courage? She has no courage! She hides behind her monster friends - the more freakish, the more she hides behind them - and never shows any remorse for it."

"Does she need to?"

"I think she does. She has much to own up to. She's damaged our entire society, our way of life, and now we can't go back. She's _completely_ to blame for this."

"So, you seem to be implying that without her, we could go back to the way things were without the monsters."

"Without question."

Asriel turned off the TV at that, almost breaking the remote in his rage.

He was shaking so hard he had to hold the armrest in order to steady himself, angry tears already running free.

 _This_ was why he hated so many of Frisk's supposed coworkers, and why _they_ hated _him_ : because they saw both he and Frisk as pests to be exterminated, as if that would solve all of the problems between humans and monsters.

Frisk did _everything_ , used everything she had, to keep the peace, to try and make everyone happy at the expense of her own happiness. The fact that she was practically passed out on his lap was proof of that. He did what he could, spoke up when she needed him, but sometimes he knew it wasn't enough - like now.

Asriel hated them so much.

When he felt Frisk's fingers suddenly dig into his thigh, he knew she was having a nightmare, even before she made a noise - which came soon after.

As someone used to them, Asriel knew how to ease someone out of one, and gently, he prised her hand from his thigh and held it, leaning down and resting his head on hers, stroking her hair slowly. Gradually, she woke up with tears in her eyes, and when she saw him, she clung onto him tight, bursting into sobs.

Something _was_ wrong with her, Asriel knew, as he held her tight. Whether it was stress or something else, her reactions to things, her sleep and her dreams - all her were signs of something wrong, something off. He wished he knew what. But he knew that it was possible _she_ didn't even know what was wrong, either.

It would only be catastrophe that would bring it all to light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asgore's anecdote with the mayor is actually one that comes from personal experience. I'm a retired politician's daughter (municipal), and the mayor of my city ADORED my dad when she was still mayor. The supermarket-story is absolutely true, save the fact that she did not follow him home. That I added. But the horn-honking in her fancy car? That happened to my dad. And more things happened that were just as hilarious. Politicians Gone Wild!


	4. Three: Dissolving Like The Setting Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings for: public shooting, violence, blood, near-death.
> 
> Any medical mistakes depicted are mine and I own up to them. Just be nice if mentioning them :).

Asgore did manage to get Frisk the press conference, set the exact date as her "Fallday", which actually made everyone but him and her unhappy; they had all wanted to spend the day celebrating Frisk, not in a stuffy room full of reporters and annoyed onlookers.

Frisk, however, stood firm, and nothing changed. It was done.

Toriel couldn't go, nor could Papyrus; both were stuck at the school filling in for those who could go. It was a sore point for them both, but no matter how hard they'd tried, neither could get out of it. Undyne, Alphys, Asgore and sans ended up being Frisk and Asriel's team. Undyne was there to protect, Alphys to field any complicated questions (as well as to protect Undyne), Asgore to support Frisk and also please the mayor, and sans for reasons he didn't mention but refused to have his mind changed away from.

It turned out to almost not be enough, but they thought it was almost too much.

* * *

 Once everyone had settled and the quiet fell through the crowded, brightly-lit room, Frisk stood at a podium, her speech before her, staring at the dozens of cameras and myriad faces with a pounding - but determined - heart. With a deep breath - and a squeeze of her hand from Asriel, who stood at her side - she began.

"Thank you all for coming. Today marks ten years to the day when the barrier was opened and our worlds were brought back together. I've called you all together to propose a treaty."

She paused, taking a shaky breath, before going on. "This treaty, called the Ten Year Treaty, would mark true union between our races. It would finally dissolve the social barriers that still stand between us, despite the physical barrier being gone for this decade. It would bring true peace to all of us, especially to those of us still suffering from walls that shouldn't be up, but were built after monsters were freed. Ten years have given us much improvement, but what we need - what we need at last - is true freedom."

She paused again, closing her eyes briefly, before she went on. "I of course mean the rights of our two races to finally have our full rights, to marry and have children--,"

That's when the first gunshot rang out, an eerie silence greeting it, especially from Frisk. It became obvious why, when suddenly she staggered, her breath going short with a cry, and she fell backwards from the podium hard, her hands at her chest, slowing being stained with red, the words she had so carefully chosen dying upon her lips.

When the second shot rang out, Undyne was already running to protect Asgore, and it was she that got hit; she staggered with a shout, then skidded to the ground like a stone on her side, her eye going wide and black, her hands scrabbling at her right side as she growled out in pain.

Then, the silence was replaced with screams, from the onlookers mostly, but also from those upon the platform.

Asriel screamed out Frisk's name and knelt at her side, grabbing her hands as tightly as he dared. She held her hands to her chest, her face pale and her eyes wide in panic and pain, her breaths bubbling up as if she were gargling water. She'd been shot close to the sternum, to the left, and was having trouble breathing, losing her hold on consciousness fast.

Alphys shouted, her fingers sparking, before she ripped off her blouse and wrapped it around one of her hands, rushing to Undyne's side quickly. Undyne lay on her side, her eye black but focused on Alphys, her teeth gritted and stained with red.

Alphys pulled Undyne's hands away from her side and pushed her own shirt-covered hands in their place, her shirt now soaking up her wife's blood as she applied pressure to the wound.

She pressed down hard to staunch the flow, and Undyne growled out again in her pain, her eye shutting. She coughed, hard, blood running down her chin, her hands going to Alphys's and holding tight.

Asgore saw that Undyne was in good hands, and went to Frisk's side, his face panicked. Around them, the cacophony was immense, people screaming, running away, filming from their phones, or simply hiding, cowering in fear.

"Don't die," Asriel was pleading, holding Frisk's hands tight, his hands covering hers in hopes of stopping the blood. "Don't you dare die on me, you _idiot! Don't you dare!"_

Asgore knelt at his side, and Asriel was sobbing, looking at Asgore briefly to say, _"Dad!_ Dad, she's dying! Please, _do something!"_

 _"As... gore?"_ Undyne managed to say, her nails digging into Alphys's hand hard, her black eye on Alphys's eyes and holding her gaze.

It was the only thing keeping her awake: her wife's face.

"S-safe, he's safe, Undyne," Alphys choked out.

_"Fr-Frisk...?"_

Alphys bit her lip and shook her head, her tears flowing free, and Undyne shut her eye again for a moment, sobbing out a strangled, _"Dammit!"_

Alphys carefully placed a bloodied hand on her cheek to calm her.

"Alphy..." she whispered, then said, stronger, angrier, "Alphy... I... am _not_... gonna die." She gasped it out, reaching up with one trembling hand to place over Alphys's.

Alphys nodded, and Undyne stared into her eyes, her own growing dimmer and dimmer as her blood ran hot.

Frisk was trying to stay awake.

She could hear Asriel screaming at her, could hear Asgore gently telling her to hold on, but the pain in her chest and the weird wet feeling she felt in her throat each time she tried to get a deep breath was distracting her, and she found it hard to concentrate.

Soon, their voices were drowned out by something familiar and terrifying: the agonised struggle of her own dying heart.

It was a nightmare. It wasn't supposed to be this way. And now, two of them lay dying, and there wasn't anything anyone could do - save one person: Sans.

The moment the shots rang out, Sans held up his left hand, his left eye bursting into flame and his face turning sinister.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd froze, their hands still on the gun, and he held them in place, his fury so potent it actually hurt the shooter.

It took _everything_ Sans had not to kill and devour the shooter then, to the point that he was almost about to - until he thought of Frisk and regained control.

But he didn't let the shooter go. Not even when he heard Asriel's voice.

"No!" Asriel screamed suddenly, shaking Frisk. "No! Frisk, _NO!"_

Her eyes, already so dim, had rolled up, showing only white, now, and she went limp in his arms as soon as they closed.

Asgore gently pulled Frisk from Asriel, lying her onto the ground on her back, his mind going through what Toriel had taught him at least four times before she hired him as Groundskeeper. It clicked in seconds, and he began CPR.

He listened, heard no change, then tried again, and again, struggling not to sob, hearing his son lose control of his own tears with every compression of Frisk's bloody chest.

It seemed like forever, but help did come.

Undyne was almost unconscious by the time the monster paramedics reached her and Alphys. Alphys held her the whole time, begging Undyne to hold on as they worked to replace Alphys's shirt with actual bandages - and Undyne _did_ hold on, the only thing keeping her there was her determination - and Alphys, herself.

When the paramedics had them surrounded, using both magic and non-magic means to stabilise Undyne, which worked, though she was still on a precipice when they had managed to take her safely away, with Alphys right beside her.

Frisk was different.

No matter how hard Asgore tried, there was no change for her. Her eyes remained slits of white, her face pale and her blood flowing freely, and when the human paramedics managed to pull her from Asgore, they looked grim. To the horror of both Asgore and Asriel, they immediately cut open her shirt and applied a defibrillator to her chest and an oxygen mask and tank to her face.

They shocked her once, the mask breathing in for her, but a strange gurgling sound accompanied it, and still her heart wouldn't beat.

When they shocked her again, Asriel hid his face in his father's shoulder, shaking.

"Save her," Asriel was begging from Asgore's arms. "Please, save my wife!" Asgore held him close as they shocked Frisk a third time, looking away, too, until--

"Got it," one paramedic said tersely, their fingers to her throat. They kept compression bandages over her wound, her pallour almost grey by now, her body so limp it terrified both Asgore and Asriel to see. Her heart beat on its own, now, but weakly, and they immediately began hooking her up to a series of IVs.

Carefully, they moved her to a stretcher, and Asgore and Asriel followed, Asriel clutching Frisk's cold hand tight.

Two ambulances left the press conference, their precious cargo barely holding on. Soon, following, a high-security police van followed, carrying both Sans and his victim into the opposite direction.

* * *

Frisk flatlined twice on the way. Each time, Asgore begged her to stay determined, as Asriel held her hand to his forehead and pleaded incoherently. When they managed to bring her back both times, Asriel sobbed in relief, and Asgore held him close, pulling him gently away whenever the paramedics needed him to for space to work.

Undyne stayed partially awake almost the entire time, though her eye was closed tight and her hand was limp and cold within Alphys's. She kept whispering, _"Alphy, I won't die,"_ and Alphys held her hand to her cheek, nodding each time so she felt it.

When magic couldn't remove the bullet from her side - lodged between the bottom of her ribcage and her hip - they had to use human methods, which involved cutting in and extracting it. Undyne managed to stay awake through most of it, until one of their tools seemed to get caught and pulled too hard, causing pain unlike anything she'd ever felt before, and she blacked out without making a sound from shock.

Alphys recognised the reaction but still felt panic, and had to be reassured that Undyne was probably better off unconscious for now, as the pain was likely indescribable. She stayed that way as they finished the job, and Alphys stroked her hair hoping - somehow - Undyne could feel it, and take comfort from it in her nightmare.

* * *

"Mr Dreemurr?" A pause. "Both of you? And Mrs Dreemurr?"

Asgore, Asriel and Toriel stood up at once. Asriel rushed forward to the human doctor, which would have made any other doctor nervous - but this one knew the Dreemurrs rather well by now, having served them before, and instead smiled at Asriel kindly.

"It was close, but we saved them both, Mr Asriel," the doctor said gently.

Both Asgore and Toriel jolted at once in shock, but Asriel looked confused. "Frisk... Frisk is okay? She's okay?"

The doctor blinked at him slowly, the smile changing to something warmer, now. Gently, she placed a hand on Asriel's shoulder, calming his stutters.

By now, Asgore and Toriel knew, Asgore already in shocked tears, Toriel beaming with her hands to her mouth.

"Yes, Frisk is okay," the doctor replied. "She needs to stay here for a while, at least a week, as the bullet hit her lung and caused it to collapse, which almost killed her. She lost a lot of blood, but again, despite it all, we saved them both."

Asriel again looked confused, now mingled with relief. "Both? You mean Undyne, too, right?"

"Doctor," Asgore broke in carefully, his voice thick. "Please explain what you mean by 'both'. I don't think my son understands."

Asriel looked at his father, then Toriel, before looking back to the doctor. "Wait, so you _don't_ mean Undyne?"

The doctor smiled kindly. "Not in this instance, though I have had word that Undyne is also fine. I mean Frisk and your baby."

Asriel froze, his eyes widening so much they seemed to take over his entire face. "B-baby...?" he echoed, his voice tiny.

"Did you not know Frisk was pregnant, Asriel?"

When Asriel fainted - and Asgore caught him, ready for it - she got her answer.


	5. Four: The Damage Is Already Done

"I feel like shit."

Alphys jolted out of her doze and was at Undyne's side, grabbing her outstretched hand as soon as she got close enough. Undyne was on her side, her eye dim but open, her smile tiny but real. Her hair was knotted but away from her face, and she was pale, but she was okay.

"Y-You don't look it," Alphys replied with a smile, reaching up and placing her hand on Undyne's cheek. Undyne's eye closed and she sighed, her IVed hand reaching up and covering Alphys's.

"Now I know how _you_ felt," Undyne murmured. "The pain meds are awesome, but not worth the shit."

Alphys laughed, the sound mingled with a small sob, and Undyne's eye opened.

"C'mere," she said, holding her arms out, and Alphys did so, holding her close.

They both cried, then, relieved and scared, angry and happy - all at once.

* * *

Frisk was asleep when Asriel came in, holding an armful of flowers - a mixed bouquet from the pharmacy.

Asgore and Toriel, though also eager to see her, let him go in first, despite him being still a little dazed and groggy. But once he woke up from his faint and finally understood, his heart - already so taxed - was soaring.

Yet he still needed to see her for himself.

She had an oxygen tube attached through her nose, and she was sitting up in her sleep, but she was pale, not grey, and the sleep was normal, not near death. He set the flowers down on the bedside table, pulled up the chair, and sat down beside her bed.

He remembered seeing her like this before, but it was different, then - _so_ different.

Carefully, with a shaking hand, he took her tubed hand into his, gently brushing his thumb over her fingertips. His other hand went to her hair, gently brushing it from her forehead.

She stirred, and he froze, not wanting to wake her, but it was too late: she took a deep breath and turned toward him, her eyes closed but her smile real.

"Asriel," she whispered.

It was enough to bring him to tears, no matter how hard he tried to calm himself.

"Howdy, idiot," he whispered back.

Her smile widened, and her hand twitched above his, before her fingers curled around his. "How are you feeling?" he added.

"Hm," she answered, her eyes still closed. "Weird. What am I on?"

He looked up at her IV and its various bags. "Blood, fluids, and the good shit," he replied with a smile, and she gave his hand a squeeze. "But low-dose, that stuff, which could be why it's weird. It's low because... because..."

Slowly, her eyes opened, catching his hesitation. The colour was glazed over and tired, but there was still some light to them.

They met his.

"Wh-what's wrong with me?" she asked softly. "What aren't they telling me yet?"

Without thought, Asriel's hand trailed down to her abdomen and lingered there, never noticing before now how much firmer it felt beneath his fingers. She blinked, then her eyes flared in understanding, her other hand grabbing onto his, shaking.

Her eyes filled, everything suddenly making sense to her, and she stared at him.

"Yeah," Asriel said gently, "That was my reaction, too." He, too, was crying.

"H-how?" she whispered. _"How?"_

"The usual way," he teased softly, but she didn't smile.

"Safe, though? Are... is... safe? Despite - where's the doctor--?" She was trying to get up, but Asriel quickly stopped her.

"Both a monster and a human doctor checked you over," he said, repeating what he had been told once he woke up. "S-she's okay."

Frisk's tears ran free, her hand over his gentle, now. "She? Monster doctors can tell this soon?"

"Duh," he nodded, smiling. "We have... _will_ have... a daughter."

"Asriel," she sobbed out his name, reaching for him, and he held her carefully as she both laughed and cried, clinging hard to him. "I never even _dreamed_...."

"I did," he admitted. "Are you happy?"

 _"So_ happy," she agreed tearfully. "I can't believe this... this can't be real..."

Asriel buried his face into her neck, his eyes shut. "It's real."

He was saying it to both her, and himself.

Her sobs mingled with laughter again, and he couldn't help it - he, too, laughed. Neither could believe such joy could be coupled with such misery.

But both joy and misery would remain for quite some time. This was only the start.

* * *

"Uh... Mr Asriel...

Asriel opened his eyes slowly, looking up. He was with Frisk on her hospital bed, Frisk herself curled around him, and sleeping again. Both were under the covers and sharing the pillows, though Frisk was using Asriel as her primary pillow, her IVed hand on his stomach, her other hand on her own.

He blinked up at Frisk's doctor - whose name was actually Dr Thicke - and smiled. "Howdy," he whispered.

Behind Dr Thicke stood Asgore and Toriel, both holding flowers. (Toriel's had a little balloon in it with the words "Congratulations!" on it in bubble letters.)

"It's okay," Toriel said softly, though her eyes were full already, despite her smile to the doctor. "He's fine where he is."

Dr Thicke nodded and left them alone, and the two walked over, taking turns setting the flowers down and hugging their son tight.

Frisk again woke up slowly, whispering, "Ma...? Pa...?" before her eyes opened and saw them.

"Hello," Toriel said softly, her eyes overflowing. "How are you, my dear child?"

Frisk rested her cheek on Asriel's chest, though her hand reached out. Asgore took it carefully, wary of the IVs, and he lowered his head, his shoulders shaking with his tears, unable to hold them in, now.

"I'm happy," she admitted. "So happy."

"You idiot," Asriel chided with a smile. "Only you'd be happy to be in a hospital."

She scowled at him as best as she could at this. "No, dummy, not because of that." She closed her eyes."Because I'm... I'm..." She paused. _"Duh."_

Asgore uttered a muffled sob, lowering his head further, and Toriel put her arm around him kindly. "We know, my dear," she said softly. "We're happy, too."

"Did they catch the shooter?" Asriel asked suddenly, his eyes narrowed. "Do you know? And have you heard anything else about Undyne?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," Toriel replied. "Sans managed to grab the shooter and is now with them at the human's law office. Undyne lost..." She paused, thinking, trying to remember, before shrugging. "She lost an organ, but it won't hurt her in the long run, so she'll be okay. Alphys is with her, so you know she's in good hands."

Frisk's eyes opened again, looking relieved. "That's wonderful news about Undyne," she admitted. "And about the shooter. I don't remember much of anything after that first shot."

"Just as well," Asriel growled, pulling her closer to stroke her hair gently (something she melted into). "It was horrible."

"Is it an isolated incident?" Frisk asked, her eyes sharp. "Or were they put up to it, and if so, by whom?"

"We don't know yet," Asgore said softly, head still lowered and his voice a little choked. "But it's attempted murder on - at least - two counts. There's no dispute on that. The shooter even confessed to it."

"But... What do I do?" Frisk asked, her face falling. "That was my one chance, and now it's gone. And once the news comes out that I'm pregnant..."

Everyone suddenly smiled at hearing her say that, and she blushed.

"Let's not worry about that and let the second thing you said derail it," Toriel replied happily.

"Yes," Asgore agreed. "For now, let's focus on you, your recovery - and your pregnancy."

Frisk was rubbing her stomach gently. "Will... will she really be okay? She's a hybrid, isn't she? What does it mean? What can I expect?"

Asriel kissed her forehead gently. "They said they'll keep an eye on you through the whole time, but they expect it'll be relatively normal for human standards, give or take a few months. At least, that's what both Dr Alphys and Dr Thicke said."

"I'm... scared," she admitted.

"You're not alone, though," Asgore said gently, now able to look at his daughter with a smile. "Not a whit."

* * *

"They took _what?!"_ Undyne snarled. _"Give it back!"_

Alphys smiled, unable to help it. "I don't think you want it back," she said honestly. "It's got a giant hole in it."

"Yes, I do! It's now a war trophy!"

When Alphys laughed, Undyne grinned. She was now sitting up, a bit dopey from meds but still herself.

Alphys was elected to break the news to Undyne, and she accepted, knowing anyone else would likely get attacked by spears or bedpans.

"Well, they need it for forensics, now," Alphys added, giving Undyne's hand a gentle kiss.

"Like on TV?"

Alphys blinked. "I guess so."

"Cool, then," Undyne nodded. "Did they catch the fucker that did it?"

"Sans did."

Undyne stared at her wife in disbelief. "You're joking me, or I'm stoned."

"Nope," Alphys replied to both with a serious nod. "He caught them moments after both of you fell. Uhm..."

Alphys then blinked, blushing. "There's more I need to tell you."

Undyne became sombre at once. "Go ahead."

"Oh," Alphys smiled. "It's not bad news. Frisk is okay - better than okay. They found out that she's, uh--,"

"--pregnant," Undyne finished. "Duh. And? What was the _news?"_

Alphys stared at her. "You knew?"

Undyne stared back. "You _didn't_? Alphy, she's been an emotional basketcase for weeks - maybe _months_ \- that has nothing to do with stress. How could you _not_ tell? You're a doctor!"

"Er," was all Alphys to think to say, scarlet now.

Undyne laughed so hard she winced, and Alphys tried to calm her down to little effect - though it was actually a nice thing to see her laughing.

Alphys felt comforted by seeing Undyne acting normal - even if it was at Alphys's expense.

"I'm glad Frisk is safe," Undyne admitted, her face falling. "Did they get the ID on the shooter?"

"Just a few moments ago," Alphys agreed, though her face darkened to something Undyne rarely saw: true hatred. "And it should be _no_ surprise why they did it."

* * *

"Someone supporting Carlson?!" Frisk exploded, so loud and hard she started coughing, a hand going to her chest. Asriel steadied her with a panicked face and said, "Breathe through your nose, Frisk, slowly, okay?" She did, her eyes shut tight.

"Not as bluntly, no," Toriel said, reading the report on her phone. "One of his 'indirect' supporters. Here, hold on." She pocketed her phone and turned the TV on, changing it to the news channel at once.

"--no charges have been laid yet in today's double-shooting at the City Hall pressroom. The shooter has confessed to being an anti-monster lobbyist," the anchor was saying. "The sudden attack almost took the lives of Ambassador Frisk Dreemurr and one of her friends, a monster named Undyne, who was protecting the Ambassador's father, King Asgore Dreemurr."

(Asgore made a face at the title.)

"She was then stopped by another monster, by the name of Sans, until police could arrive and take her into full custody."

"Asshole," Asriel snarled, holding Frisk closer.

Toriel gave him a sharp look, but didn't challenge it. Though she'd never admit it, she actually agreed with him, semantics included.

"This attack has put negotiations back once again, as today's proposed treaty was supposed to announce a beginning in national peace talks between humans and monsters. However, international support has suddenly begun to crop up for the Ambassador on social media and television, and many people - stubborn deniers of monsters' rights - have suddenly changed their positions."

There was a pause, and the anchor looked directly into the camera. "Let's hope that the Ambassador can present her treaty again soon - and safely."

Asgore shut the TV off when the subject changed. Frisk was weeping, her face shocked. She hadn't expected support, least of all to change minds - especially when she hadn't even presented the full treaty.

"What if they find out you're pregnant?" Asriel wondered, though he, too, shared much of the same feelings as Frisk.

"I doubt we have long to wait to find out," Toriel replied dryly.

She was right.


	6. Five: Come On, Is This What You Want?

"Hm... What about Frisky?"

"I hate you."

Asriel laughed, giving her forehead a gentle kiss. "Okay, Okay. Asri-Frisk?"

"I will kill you."

"Friskriel?"

"Asrieeeeeel...."

"That name's taken."

Frisk jammed her fingers into his sides and tickled him, causing him to giggle, squirm, and then fall out of her bed. They both laughed, Frisk holding out a hand to help him back up, which he took and did so. Once he was comfortable, she curled up against him, which brought happy smiles to both.

"We have to make sure to choose a name that doesn't have any bad nicknames attached to it," Frisk said, her chin on her hand.

After a day in the hospital, she was looking a bit better, thought her lung was still tender and she still needed help, so the oxygen tube remained.

"Like Frisky?"

"How about Flowey?" she replied, sinking her nails into his arm. "Or Ass-riel?"

He went scarlet. "Okay, okay, truce."

"Wait." Frisk blinked in surprise. "What about 'Nickname'? We could call her Nicky."

Asriel paused, his eyes wide. "That's... actually kinda cool. And it'll please Mom and Dad."

Frisk grinned, her hands at her stomach. "Nicky, then." she said softly. "Our baby is named Nicky."

Asriel stared at her, his face pink. She smiled at him warmly, and he touched her cheek with light fingers. "Baby," he echoed.

"Yep."

"Ambassador?" a voice interrupted - a monster nurse. "How are you going this morning?" She walked over and checked her fluids and medications. "In any pain? You're due for some relief."

Frisk looked conflicted. She _did_ hurt, but she didn't want to hurt her baby from selfishness. "Is it safe?" she asked softly.

When the nurse agreed, Frisk nodded slowly, looking embarrassed but also relieved.

"You idiot," Asriel teased, though his smile was small. "If you're in pain, you can say so. They know what they're doing."

Indeed.

"That's true," the nurse agreed cheerfully, already having the new bag hooked up and having it on quick-drip.

Immediately Frisk relaxed, not realising just how much pain she'd been in until that moment. She rested heavily against Asriel, who held her close and stroked her hair.

"It'd be good if she got some deep sleep - oh." The nurse smiled when she saw that Frisk was already halfway there by now. "If you need to, Mr Asriel, you can take a break."

When Asriel shook his head, the nurse took Frisk's vitals gently, marked them down, then said, "She's due for a magical exam in an hour. It's best if she slept until then."

"What is it for?"

"To check her lung and the baby."

Asriel nodded, and the nurse smiled and left him and Frisk alone. Frisk was sound asleep already, the heavy, drugged sleep of one lacking it for longer than they'd be willing to admit. Gently, he rested his head on hers and dozed off.

* * *

Asriel woke to Frisk choking, trying to breathe but only gasping at empty air.

"Frisk?!" he cried, holding her steady, hoping it would help, but her eyes were blind and she was still struggling to breathe.

Asriel pushed the panic button, and two nurses rushed into the room - one human and one monster, different from the one before, a male. Asriel was ordered brusquely to move aside, as both looked over Frisk, who was still trying to breathe but coming up empty.

The human nurse grabbed an oxygen mask and pulled the nose tube from Frisk quickly, replacing it with the mask, while the monster nurse placed his hands over Frisk's chest, Asriel catching a glow of magic from beneath his palms.

"Call her doctor," the monster nurse said tersely, keeping his hands in place as the human rushed from the room.

"Who was here, before?" the nurse demanded of Asriel, now, startling him.

"A-a nurse, a female monster nurse. She c-came in and gave Frisk pain meds."

The nurse quickly went over to the IV, looked over the bag, and tore it from the IV tree at once, his face grim.

Dr Thicke was just arriving, and the nurse handed her the bag. Dr Thicke looked it over, then immediately went pale.

"Get her to the OR, _now,"_ she snapped out. "Mr Asriel, stay here."

Before he could even protest, they had wheeled her away, bed and all, leaving an empty space where the bed once was, giving Asriel a sinking feeling in his stomach, as if he were falling from the sky into an unending pit. He dropped to his knees in that space, then placed his head in his hands, keening softly, rocking back and forth, barely able to believe what had just happened.

He didn't know how long he'd been weeping, but soon he felt Toriel's arms around him, arms he fell into, sobbing, clinging tight.

"Mommy," he whispered, and she nodded to him. "Your father is waiting for news, my boy," she explained softly. "What happened?"

"I don't _know!"_ he admitted helplessly. "She was _fine!_ We named our daughter. She was sore, so they gave her medicine. Then we fell asleep and she woke up... strangling on _nothing!"_

His voice shattered, and Toriel pulled him close, her sharp mind already calculating. She'd been studying human medicine for many years, now, and knew that in some concentrations, pain medicine used for humans could be lethal, just as they could be useful in smaller doses.

With a kiss to her son's forehead, she wondered what person was depraved enough to do such a thing.

* * *

Alphys was joking with Undyne about scars when she was called over by Dr Thicke. With a worried look to her wife, Alphys went to the doctor's side.

"Frisk was poisoned by an overdose of morphine," Dr Thicke said in a hushed voice, shocking Alphys. "We need your help."

Alphys nodded, and together they left, leaving Undyne confused - and scared. She turned to one of the human nurses and demanded, "Tell me what happened! That was Frisk's doctor! _Tell me!"_

"I would if I knew!" the nurse admitted, throwing her hands up in surrender. "But if I find out before you do, I promise I'll tell you!"

 _"Promise?"_ Undyne snarled between bared, sharp teeth.

"Yes, I promise! I'm scared of you!"

"Because I'm a _monster?!"_

"No! Because you're _you!"_

Undyne was quite satisfied by that, and decided to calm down, at least as much as she could in a situation like this.

* * *

Sans stood across from his victim, his eye burning bright enough to cast shadow. He'd been staring for so long, the shooter had had to look away.

They were in one of the high-security holding cells, Sans separated from his would-be prey only by iron bars. He stood, his hands in his pockets, his slippered feet still stained red with the blood of his friends.

He said nothing, had said nothing for almost an hour, now, and the shooter was trying to ignore him - to little success.

She'd first tried taunting him, then insulting him, then threatening him. But no amount of abuse would erase that angry smile, nor would it make him go away.

When exactly an hour passed, he said, "You killed yourself yesterday."

The shooter snorted. "There's no death penalty."

"Not by humans, no. Not even monsters. But that won't stop _me."_

"You can't, either," she sneered.

"I _can_ , and have struggled not to for exactly an hour. But I assure you, the moment you shot Frisk, _you_ _died."_

She turned back to him, and his smile widened.

"What a bad time for you," he concluded.

* * *

"Papyrus!" Undyne hugged him, startling him in mid-cackle: "NYEH-HEH-OOWW!"

She didn't care; she'd been alone for an hour, waiting for news on Frisk, or even Alphys, and Papyrus was a welcome sight, indeed. He was holding blue carnations that promptly landed on the floor when she'd grabbed him.

When she released him, she asked, "Have you heard _anything?"_

"YES," he admitted, adjusting his clothes back to proper Battle-Body status. "FRISK IS GOING TO BE OKAY, THOUGH THE DOCTORS KEPT SAYING 'THEY'. I THOUGHT THEY KNEW THAT FRISK WAS BINARY? FEMALE?"

"You dork," Undyne answered affectionately. "She's pregnant."

 _"HUMANS_ CAN BE PREGNANT?"

"Oh, shut up," she snorted, seeing the gleam of humour in his eyes. "Did they catch that nurse?"

Papyrus suddenly looked rather pleased. _"I_ DID."

Undyne started at him. "Explain."

He smiled. "WELL, I WAS ON MY WAY TO SEE YOU WHEN THEY PUT THE PLACE ON LOCKDOWN AND DESCRIBED THE NURSE OVER THE SPEAKERS - AND I JUST HAPPENED TO SEE HER AS I WAS WALKING OUT OF THE GIFT SHOP." He put his hand to his chest proudly. "I OF COURSE CAPTURED HER AT ONCE! NYEH-HEH-HEH!"

Undyne grabbed him again into a harder hug. "If we were still Underground, you'd be my second-hand Guard," she growled proudly.

"CAN I BE IT, ANYWAY?"

"Of course!" Undyne replied with a grin. When she let go of him again, she asked, "Did they get a reason?"

"SHE SAID IT WAS A MISTAKE, THAT SHE'D BEEN GIVEN THE MEDICINE BY ANOTHER NURSE, A HUMAN, BUT COULDN'T REMEMBER THE FACE TOO WELL."

"She... _could_ be telling the truth," Undyne grumbled, her arms crossed over her chest. "It sounds very plausible."

"SHE WAS," Papyrus admitted. "NOW THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER SUSPECT, WHICH IS WHY THE HOSPITAL IS STILL ON LOCKDOWN."

Undyne sighed. "Any word from sans?" she wondered. "He may get upset, not being allowed to come in here to see Frisk."

"I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM MY BROTHER SINCE HE CALLED TO TELL ME THE NEWS, AND THAT HE WAS AT THE HUMAN POLICE STATION." Papyrus looked worried. "HE'D USUALLY TEXT ME WITH A BAD PUN ABOUT POLICE OFFICERS BY NOW."

"Do you think he's doing something he shouldn't?" Undyne wondered quietly, her eyes dark with worry.

"HONESTLY? YES. I DO."

* * *

The shooter snorted again. "Aren't you the monster who almost killed the Ambassador, _yourself?"_

"I am."

"Then you're being rather hypocritical, aren't you?"

 _"I_ made a mistake. Can _you_ say the same?"

"Yes," she admitted. "I regret that she lived, and that I missed the father."

Then, she grinned, the most hateful grin Sans had ever seen a human make.

That was exactly the wrong thing to say.

Sans raised his left hand slowly, and the shooter suddenly felt the visceral tug of a soul being pulled into battle by a monster, before finding it exposed before her.

"Then I was right, and you're already _dead,"_ Sans growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Morphine paralysis is a real thing, and can kill you. Trust me on this one. It's a very real thing, and it's needlessly killed people. If you have to take high-dose morphine, for the love of your loved ones, don't lie on your back. Always lie on your side. Your risk of suffocation greatly diminishes.


	7. Interlude One: Out There, Always Echoing

"could you _not_...?"

Nicky and Frisk looked up to see sans standing in the doorway of the back door, slouching and looking rather dejected.

Nicky jumped up and hugged him tight. "Uncle sansy!" she cried happily.

Frisk smiled at sans, getting to her feet to join in on the hug. "Yes, sans, we have to tell it," she replied with an apologetic smile.

"It's okay, Uncle!" Nicky said happily, giving his hands a shake. "I still love you! No matter how scary or stupid you can be!"

Undyne peered over sans's shoulder with a grin. "I thought that _I_ was supposed to corrupt the brats with scary stories," she broke in, which earned her a hug from Nicky, as well.

"I'm not a _brat!"_ insisted Nicky. "I'm a silly-billy!"

sans beamed at her, and Undyne groaned, turning on her heel and going back into the house, slamming the door behind her.

She winced, whispering, "Shit, I forgot. Gotta be quiet..." She listened, but there was no sound from the room in which Alphys slept, so she was safe.

For now.

"good work, kiddo," sans praised, and Nicky grinned wider. "now can you please not tell that part, frisk?"

"Why did you bother telling it to me, then, if you wanted it to be private, you dolt?" she asked, holding out a hand to him.

"so you knew, ambassador. that _is_ your job, isn't it? i didn't tell you so that you could traumatise your goat-child."

"Nicky's made of far stronger stuff than you give her credit for."

"Hey! Bastard!" Asriel snarled out the window of the kitchen, surprising all three of them. "Let my wife tell her own story!"

Frisk grinned smugly, while Nicky clapped in delight upon hearing her father swear.

"hey. weed," sans answered back. "stay in the kitchen."

When a plastic cup was flung out the window, Frisk caught it before it hit anyone.

"Anyway," she said calmly, giving the cup to Nicky, who used it to put flowers in. "I have to tell all sides, sans. Even the unpleasant ones. She has the right to know."

"must you always remind me of my mistakes, though? i get that enough from my brother."

"Yes," Nicky interjected, giving him the cup of flowers with a smile. "Because I want to know, and I'm brave."

sans's face softened, taking the cup of flowers and sighing deeply in defeat. "alright, kiddo," he surrendered, his voice gentle. "but just this once. and if your mami confuses you, let me know and i'll correct it, okay?"

"Frisk isn't like _you_ , bastard! She knows how to tell a good story! At least, _now_ she does!"

"excuse me for a moment, ladies," sans said calmly, before returning back into the house.

Soon, the sounds of scuffling between him and Asriel could be heard, until Undyne hissed rather loudly, "Will you two _shut the fuck up?!_ Alphy is trying to sleep! _Shut up or eat spear!"_

Frisk was grinning, her hand on her daughter's head, right between her tiny, nub-like horns, allowing the sounds to wash over her like a nice, warm shower.

"Mami?" Nicky said, breaking her from her reverie. "Story?"

"Right," she agreed. "So, anyway, Sans was at the police station, and I..."


	8. Six: And My Love Is No Good

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I need to dedicate at least one chapter to PhalinRed, for being so fucken awesome and supportive. You're awesome.

The doorway to Frisk's room was now flanked by two former Royal Guards, faces that Undyne knew and trusted. RG 01 and RG 02 stood there on high alert, and when Asriel came to the doorway, they recognised him immediately and let him in, with RG 01 saying, "Welcome, like, back, Prince."

They had been at the hospital already to visit Undyne at the time of the lockdown, and the moment she saw them, she hugged them, thanked them, and ordered them to Frisk's room.

Asriel was glad to see them; anyone trusted by Undyne would be trusted by him.

He walked in slowly, seeing Toriel already there at Frisk's bedside, leaning over and gently stroking the hair from Frisk's forehead. Frisk was sleeping, now, and not even Toriel's touch would wake her at this point.

Asriel listened, and he could hear two heart monitors: one was soft but fast, the other irregular and louder - the baby's and Frisk's. Frisk, lying on her back, had a breathing mask on, and her IVed hand lay limp on her stomach, the other being held by Toriel's free hand as she read from a book open on her lap.

"...'most people don't know this,'" Toriel was saying softly, reading aloud from the book. "'But snails can also communicate, just not in words. They can use body language and use their antennae to also convey what they want to.'" She looked up at Frisk with a small smile. "Isn't that fascinating, my child?"

No answer, as Frisk was out like a light, finally on the proper medication and getting the rest she needed - especially now - to heal (though later she would admit to having dreams about snails).

Alphys had told Asriel everything, including how they'd had to quickly flush, and then replace, the fluids - first the bad, then the good - from Frisk in order to save her from the morphine toxicity. As a result, she was set back several days in her recovery, and they weren't sure when she would wake up. (Dr Thicke said optimistically that it would be either at night or the next day.)

But she was safe. And so was their daughter.

"Come over here, my boy," Toriel was saying suddenly, noticing him hovering in the doorway, not realising he was weeping quietly, staring at Frisk. He obeyed, his mother's arms out to him, and he hugged onto her tight, staying standing, his quiet tears turning to choked sobs, unable to help it. Toriel gently rocked him, whispering words of comfort to him.

When he could, he asked, "Where's Dad?"

"Helping find the one who did this," Toriel explained, pulling up a chair for him. He sat down, and she went on. "They managed to isolate a scent, and since he has the better nose out of the two of us, he volunteered to help find them. He'll never let me live it down."

Toriel wrinkled her own nose, but Asriel couldn't smile, though he tried.

"Until they find that person, the hospital is closed, and no one can come in or go out. It's also why our friends are there." She gestured to the guards, and RG 02 waved without turning around.

"I wouldn't leave even if I could," said Asriel, and Toriel put her arm around him and pulled him close again, stroking his ear and hair gently, hoping to soothe him, even if just a bit.

Together, they watched Frisk sleep for a moment in silence.

After a while, Toriel resumed her reading aloud, and it comforted Asriel more than anything else could.

* * *

Undyne was livid. "Unhook me _now,"_ she snarled.

"No," Alphys snapped back. "You need rest. Asgore has it covered, Undyne."

"Unhook me _now,_ Alphys!" Undyne shouted, trying to get to her feet. "Frisk... she needs me! _They_ need me!"

Alphys pushed her back down, digging her claws into Undyne's shoulders as deep as she dared to keep her there.

 _"No,_ Undyne!" she cried. "Tim and George are there, watching the door, and no one goes in and out without their knowing. You trust them, don't you?"

Undyne glared at her.

"Right?" she pressed.

"Yes, okay?" Undyne answered. "Yes! I trust them. But Frisk needs _me_ , and so does Asgore!"

Alphys shook her head. "No, Undyne. You're needed right here, right now. Please."

 _"They_ need me!" Undyne protested, but her voice broke, her hands now at her wounded side, still trying to get up.

 _"I_ need you _here_ more," Alphys answered, lowering her head, her voice wavering. She shut her eyes. "Pl-please, love. Please? D-do this, to get b-better, so you can pro-protect them in the best condition you c-can."

"But... but..." Undyne suddenly sat back down onto the bed, her hands going to her face. "It's not enough! It _wasn't_ enough! Frisk _still_ got shot!"

Alphys immediately understood and sat down beside Undyne on the bed.

Undyne grabbed her and sobbed out, "What kind of warrior am I, Alphy?! I can't even protect Frisk!"

"Undyne, don't," Alphys corrected gently. "You saved Asgore, who in turn was able to help save Frisk."

Undyne sobbed out again, one of her clenched fists hitting Alphys's back in her frustration. "I should've saved them _both!_ _I'm a failure!"_

"Of course you're not," Alphys answered, her voice choking up. "You're brave, and st-strong, and fearless. You s-saved Asgore, a-and you'll save _more_. B-but you need to g-get healed, first, okay?"

Undyne buried her wet face into Alphys's neck, gritting her teeth against the pain - physical and emotional - and fury. Alphys held her close, stroking her hair and gently combing out the knots with her claws.

"O-okay," Undyne agreed finally, sounding defeated, her voice so small.

Alphys kissed her atop her head, and again Undyne uttered a helpless, frustrated sob.

* * *

When Frisk woke up, it was barely noticeable at first. Asriel had dozed off to the sound of Toriel's voice, and Toriel was reading silently now in order to not disturb him, as now it was late in the day and coming close to dusk. Frisk's eyes didn't open, and she couldn't talk, but her hand suddenly gripped onto Toriel's as tight as she could.

Toriel blinked, her head snapping up, before smiling and squeezing back. "Hello, dear daughter," she said softly.

Asriel instantly jolted awake and leaned in close, his hand going under Frisk's, so that it was sandwiched by both her mother and her husband.

"Frisk?" he whispered, and she nodded slightly, her hand on her stomach twitching a little, before gently lying flat. From her closed eyes, she cried, her relief obvious; she could obviously hear the dual heart-monitors.

"You're safe," Toriel said, "and so is Nicky."

Frisk nodded again, her tears falling free, now, and Asriel reached up to brush them away; her hand over his twitched, then tried to curl around his in obvious gratitude.

"Your father is helping with the investigation," Toriel continued, letting go of Frisk's hand to resume stroking her hair, which made Frisk sigh a little in relief. "They'll find out who did this, and make sure they see justice. Don't you worry."

Frisk squeezed her eyes shut tight, a muffled sob escaping her, and both her mother and husband held her close, Asriel moving to her other side and sitting on the bed with her as close as he dared, afraid to hurt her. She leaned on him lightly.

"Hey, like, you need ID to come in here," RG 01 (Tim) was saying, his voice sharp. "Huh? What is it, G?"

A pause.

"Oh. Dr Thicke, sorry! It must've, like, been the lighting! Didn't recognise you, sorry! Okay, cool."

He and 02 (George) let the person pass, and in came Dr Thicke, her eyes bright but her smile brighter.

"They got him," she blurted out at once. "Well, your husband, Asgore - my god - _he_ got him. He was so angry he almost killed the guy, but they got him, they got him! He's on the way to the precinct now, to join his little shooter friend."

Frisk's hands clenched, her eyes opening just a bit, their colour dull. She tried to speak, but couldn't, her voice muffled by the mask. Asriel was leaning close, a jolt of fear hitting him at the sound, but she was fine - just frustrated that she wasn't understood.

"One second," Dr Thicke said, reaching down and gently unhooking the mask from Frisk's face. She coughed again, her hand to her chest, but Dr Thicke then replaced it with a nose tube, and Frisk inhaled deeply, the coughing stopping once she had enough. She was given a glass of water, and gradually with both, colour began to return to her cheeks.

"Papi is safe...?" she asked, her voice hoarse.

"Oh, better than safe," the doctor agreed. "Very much so. Angrier than a bull in a pen, but just fine. Did you know he knew magic? Scared all of us but it did the trick."

Asriel and Frisk smiled, but Toriel looked troubled upon hearing this.

Frisk, however, said, "I'm glad."

Asriel leaned in and kissed her forehead gently, as Toriel squeezed her hand.

Even after such a short time, Frisk was already looking tired again, her eyes closing for longer than normal blinks.

Dr Thicke gestured to Toriel, leaving Asriel behind to stroke Frisk's hair and pull her back into sleep.

"It was another anti-monster lobbyist, posing as a human nurse," she explained to Toriel. "Damn, I hope this ends with him. I'm so sick of seeing these kids hurt."

Toriel smiled kindly. "Frisk turned twenty the day of the press conference, legally an adult by monster standards."

"She got shot on her _birthday?!"_ Dr Thicke repeated in shock.

"Well, the day she fell Underground, but we count it as her birthday, since she doesn't remember her real one," Toriel explained.

"Ouch," Dr Thicke grimaced. "I hope she recovers fast. She's gonna need all of her strength for this pregnancy."

* * *

_"What the hell are you doing?! Who let you in here?!"_

Sans dropped his left hand at once, dropping the shooter along with it, who was badly beaten up but not nearly as much as Sans would have liked.

She spat blood and screamed out, _"Get him away from me! He's insane! He's trying to kill me!"_

Sans just smiled, shrugging and spreading his hands out.

It wasn't a lie, after all.

* * *

"...news of her pregnancy have been confirmed after a security breach at the hospital she is staying at."

"Dammit," Asriel snarled at the TV, wishing setting it on fire would solve the problem.

"This of course causes controversy - support and outrage - on either side of this debate, but as of yet, we've received no comment from either the Ambassador or her family, nor her biggest opponent, Councillor Carlson."

"Good," Frisk rasped out angrily. Toriel rubbed her hand, but she was still angry.

"This pregnancy does raise concerns, as this is the first public case we've seen of it to date. We suspect many will be keeping their eyes on the Ambassador, but hopefully with respect. News of the Treaty's reception - now available online, thanks to the mayor posting it herself in full - has now become international, as many strong deniers of monster rights now seem to be leaning toward the other side - especially now."

"Huh," both Frisk and Asriel said in shock.

Toriel grinned, but had the grace not to jinx them - just barely. It was just as well, as now, in mid-sentence, the newsanchor had their finger to their ear and was being interrupted mid-sentence.

"But - wait - we now come to you live from the police station--,"

"Yes, thank you," a new reporter said, standing in front of the station. "As we now know, there was a second attempt on the Ambassador's life, and her father, King Asgore Dreemurr, managed to apprehend him for police custody. On their way to locking him up, they discovered that one of the Ambassador's friends had somehow infiltrated the station and attacked the shooter."

_"WHAT?!"_

* * *

_"Shit!"_ Undyne and Alphys said, Alphys with a hand to her mouth in shock. They, with Papyrus, were watching the same newscast.

The moment the words sank in, Papyrus was at his feet and out the door faster than they could keep track of, his face full of worried fear, too afraid to even say a parting word.

"No, no, _no,"_ Alphys whispered, watching with huge eyes as the TV showed sans grinning quite happily while being apprehended by both monster and human means, not looking either worried or sorry. "This isn't good."

"No _shit_ it isn't good, Alphy," Undyne cried. "This is _really bad!_ If he really did it - and judging by his stupid shit-eating grin, he _did_ \- it'll cause even _more_ trouble for Frisk! Doesn't he _get_ that?! Doesn't he ever _think_ _?!_ What the hell _was_ he thinking?!"

Alphys jolted suddenly, now both hands at her mouth, trembling. Her eyes were wide and full of disbelief. "No," she murmured again. "He _was_ thinking, yes, but... Undyne, if I'm right... oh, no, if I'm right... I d-don't want to be r-right..."

"Slow down, Alphy. What is it? What's wrong with sans?!"

But Alphys was already on her feet and running after Papyrus, rushing out in such a blur that Undyne sat in bemused silence.


	9. Seven: Gone Mad Within His Suffering

"You _bastard."_

sans sighed, not bothering to look up.

Alphys was holding the bars of his cell with shaking claws, so much the bars rattled and her fingers sparked.

He knew someone would come that wasn't just Papyrus (who had arrived first and was getting him ketchup - a good brother); he just hadn't thought it would be Alphys.

"How long, sans?"

He lowered his head further, his right hand clenched into a fist, his left limp at his side.

_"How long?!"  
_

"ask me an easier question," he begged her, unable to answer the real one, yet.

Alphys struggled to stay calm, but her voice was clipped, anyway. "Okay, sans, sure. When did you shift from the mother to the daughter?"

"alphys..."

 _"Why_ did you?!"

"please stop, okay? it's not going to be a good time."

"Don't you _dare_ threaten me," she snapped. "Your actions have caused Frisk's hard work - and near sacrifice - to be worth almost _nothing."_

"stop it." His eye sparked, just a bit, at the word 'sacrifice'.

_"Why would you do this?!"_

"Because I knew _they_ would _not!"_ he finally shouted, getting to his feet, his eyes black. She glared into them, afraid but angrier than that fear. "I knew that that scum would never, _ever_ see the justice they deserved for the crime!"

"And _you_ choose?" Alphys growled. _"You_ get to choose, and death, of all things?!"

"She lived," Sans answered, as if that made up for it all.

"But you, you still think you can choose anyway. You think yourself above everyone else, and to hell with them, right?"

"What's the use of being able to judge souls if I can't exact the penalty that soul deserves?" he demanded of her, instead, though now Alphys wondered if he was even speaking to her, specifically. "Frisk almost died, and all because she wanted peace! And still wants it! These humans... these _ingrates!_ They don't _deserve_ their souls, Alphys!"

"I know that," she answered quietly, her voice low with fury. "My wife almost died, too, so I know. Or did you forget? I _especially_ would love to see that person hurt - dead, even. But, sans... we're not in the Underground anymore. You're no longer judge."

"Hah!" He laughed hollowly, no real humour within it. "The one time I don't resent my power, it's taken from me when I need it the most."

"Sans..."

"Yes, Alphys," he turned to her suddenly, his left eye alight with cyan. "I love Frisk."

His voice was still furious, but he was being honest at last. "I don't know when it happened, but love her, I do. I _always_ will. So when I see her harmed, maimed, bleeding, I do not care who I hurt, so long as they know their mistake in hurting her."

"Even when it was _you?"_ Alphys snapped, staring into his black eyes, seeing such sadness there, such rage and guilt and thirst for revenge, snuffing out any kind of humour that they always conveyed. She saw a person who longed to prove himself to Frisk, but didn't know how, and kept screwing it up when he tried.

 _"Especially_ me," he replied, his voice hollow again. "I would if I could."

"Sans..." Alphys tried, her voice gentler. He sat back down, lowering his head again. "sans... I sort of understand what you mean. But... you've _got_ to know what you've done, now."

"yeah," he agreed. "i just proved those assholes right."

* * *

"Control your temper, _now."_

Asgore kept his back to Toriel, shaking, his hands aflame and his expression one he didn't want anyone to see - though of course Toriel knew it was one she'd seen before. He tried to take a deep breath, but a rage like this was different to smother, especially for one not prone to them. In the quiet, rage is all-consuming, more potent than the loud could ever be.

"You attacked him, Asgore. Did you expect them to just ignore it and let him die of his injuries?"

"He needs to die," he hissed out.

"Do you really believe that?"

 _"Yes!"_ he snarled, his hands hurting from the flames he couldn't smother. "He almost killed my daughter! He almost killed my... my granddaughter!"

Toriel's jaw clenched, her own anger surfacing at that, unable to help it. It was true, after all, and it angered her, too.

"And now they're healing him at that station of theirs," he added.

"Yes, so that he lives, in order to get his punishment!" Toriel insisted. "You cannot try a dead man for his crimes!"

"Unless that crime is equal to death!"

"Asgore!" Toriel shut her eyes tight. "They had to move him from here, don't you understand? And right now, I can see why! Did you really follow him into his hospital room and try to _kill_ him?!"

Asgore was silent, the silence his answer.

Toriel glared at his shaking back, then looked away, her own fists clenched, now.

"You billy-goat _whelp,"_ she murmured. "If you had been more _quiet_..."

He suddenly stiffened, then turned to her in shock.

She was weeping, but furiously. "If you had truly _meant_ to kill him, you should have been _silent_. It's how _I_ wanted to do it."

Asgore stared at her, the flames going out at once.

"Do you understand? I completely understand you, husband," she said, her voice like steel. "I, too, hunger for revenge. But even so, we must be stronger than that. Revenge only hurts the ones that do it. It does nothing for the avenged."

Asgore's face fell, and he lowered his head. "I loathe them all right now, Tori," he whispered.

"As do I," Toriel agreed, placing her own hot hand in his. "But that will get us only more hate."

* * *

Alone - save for her guards - and half-asleep, Frisk was humming.

It was a song she'd heard in the Underground, beneath an umbrella, and, later, from her own hands at a piano. She didn't know why it came to her head now - possibly the medication or exhaustion - but she hummed it happily, her eyes closed and her hands rubbing her stomach slowly.

She'd been surrounded by people for so long, she'd never really had a chance to come to terms with her new reality. Granted, it wasn't really her family's fault, and she loved every second, but now, alone, she was finally able to comprehend what all of this actually meant.

 _Pregnant_.

It was a strange thing to think about.

Her fingers curled around her middle, everything that she'd been experiencing over the past month or so coming to clarity: her moods, her infrequent cycle, her easy exhaustion, her hunger...

It wasn't just the stress, but another person living within her, now, experiencing everything she did. Nothing she ever did now was truly by herself, and it felt odd - but also comforting.

 _A family_.

She knew she had a family, and knew now what it was like to be a daughter at last, thanks to Toriel and Asgore.

But, to be a mother, herself?

Over the years, memories of her birth parents and her great aunt Maine had faded, but the hurt and humiliation of foster care had only increased with that time.

What if, somehow, she would end up like that, so miserable that even her own child was misery?

The thoughts stopped her humming for a moment (which actually worried both Tim and George), until she thought of her _real_ family again, the ones who saw her to true adulthood unconditionally.

 _They_ were the ones she needed to look up to, now. _They_ were her true memories, her true family, even if not by blood--

 _"Oh,"_ she whispered, her eyes widening.

Except, now, they _were_ related by blood. The blood of Nicky flowed through her, and _her_ blood was also Asriel's. She truly _was_ family, now; there were no longer any barriers, now. She was a Dreemurr, always had been, yes. But now? Now her blood was, too.

When she resumed humming, it was tearful, but perhaps prettier now for it.

* * *

As sans sipped his ketchup from a paper cup, Papyrus stood in Alphys's place (Alphys had taken a break to get much-needed coffee to settle her nerves), where he stood quietly, watching his brother carefully. sans could feel it, but didn't even know how to begin.

All he wanted to do was leave and kill the shooter - he could very easily do it, after all - but thoughts of Frisk kept him in that cell.

So Papyrus began. "DO YOU MIND TELLING ME WHAT IS GOING ON, AND WHY YOU ALMOST KILLED A HUMAN?"

"yes, i mind," answered sans.

"WELL, TOO BAD THAT I DON'T CARE IF YOU DO, SANS. TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENED."

"you _know_ what happened, bro. that human almost killed frisk, wanted to kill asgore, almost killed undyne... that's game over to me."

"UNLESS YOU PLAN ON JOINING THE HUMAN POLICE FORCE, YOU DON'T GET TO CHOOSE THE PENALTY."

"oh, not you, too, bro."

"DO YOU KNOW, I'VE CONSIDERED IT, MYSELF?" Papyrus went on. "THERE ARE MANY PLACES I COULD GO THAT HUMANS CANNOT. LIKE THE DRUGS! I HEAR THAT'S VERY POPULAR!"

sans stared at him, unable to help smiling (which was Papyrus's goal all along). "but you're such a square."

"I, PAPYRUS, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD, A SQUARE?! NONESENSE! I'M MORE TRIANGULAR THAN ANYTHING ELSE, DON'T YOU THINK?"

When sans finally chuckled, Papyrus smiled. "YOU SEE? I COULD BE JUST WHO THEY'RE MISSING."

"sure, bro." sans raised his cup to him in a toast before drinking again.

Then he paused and lowered it. "have you heard anything new from frisk?" he wondered. "i've been here for a day and only have been getting rumours. i know they brought in this other guy, but who is he, and why?"

Papyrus hesitated, clearly not wanting to go into detail.

At that moment, Alphys returned with her coffee, her eyes sharp, having heard the question. Papyrus turned to her, his eyes searching hers, and she was still so angry she almost said it - but the look in her friend's eyes stopped her, and she bit her lip, nodding, but still with a glare.

So, carefully, Papyrus was the one who explained all that sans had missed, making sure to be as gentle with the bad news as he could. He just left one thing out that could have easily been said - but wasn't.

When Alphys noticed, she glowered, then just said it. "Also, Frisk is a month and a half pregnant."

Her voice was hard, and sans's head shot up, his hand crushing the cup in his hand and spilling ketchup everywhere.

"Asriel is of course the father," she finished.

"DOCTOR," Papyrus pleaded, but her eyes were closed, now, sipping her coffee, the damage already done.

Suddenly, sans rose to his feet. "where's the shooter, now?" he asked - growled, it, really. His left hand twitched, as did his eye. "and the poisoner? two lives for two, really, don't you think?"

Alphys handed Papyrus her cup casually, then summoned one of her bright orange staffs, holding it out to him calmly. "You know you can't do that, and that's not why I told you."

His eyes vanished. "Then _why_ did you tell me, other than to make me suffer?!"

 _"Suffer?"_ Alphys echoed. "She survived - they both did. The authorities caught the ones responsible. And you dare say _you're_ suffering?!"

Sans froze, his empty eyes staring into her fierce ones, the light of her staff reflecting off of her glasses.

"Think of _Asriel,"_ she went on. "Having to see his wife shot, only to find out she's pregnant. And then, barely a day later, her has to watch again as she almost dies!"

She was shouting now, her hands shaking. "You selfish _bastard!_ You were here the whole time, _hiding from her,_ and you were protected from seeing all of it! And you _dare_ to say you suffered, and you _dare_ to keep on with your pathetic desire for revenge?!"

Papyrus put a gloved hand on her shoulder - she was shaking so hard her staff shook - and the gesture startled her, the staff vanishing. She gritted her teeth, then turned back to sans, whose eyes were now normal - and now ashamed.

"SANS?" Papyrus asked gently.

"she's right," he admitted, sitting back down. "i'll do as they ask, toe the line, pay the price, stay here and follow their stupid rules. but, alphys..."

He looked up at her, his eyes empty again. "If they do not face justice, _I_ must make them do so."

Alphys stared back fearlessly, with determined eyes,  her fierce smile. She nodded. "And I'll help you," she promised. "You can count on that."


	10. Eight: Oh, What Is It Worth?

"Looking _good_ , Ambassador."

Frisk scowled at the nurse, who laughed, their hands glowing a beautiful blue as they hovered them over her abdomen. She knew she looked terrible after three days of intensive care, and thus didn't appreciate the teasing. "And my daughter? How good does she look?"

"Nice and healthy. Although... you said you were a month and a half along, right?"

Frisk nodded.

"Are you sure?"

She thought about it, confused, doing the math. If she was correct, it happened the night Asriel was showing her the different kinds of magic he knew - and other kinds he had never tried but now had the excuse to, thanks to Frisk, which was both sensual and sexual.

They'd been so drunk from it, the memory was enough to make her blush. "I'm positive," she concluded shyly.

Silence met her words, and she looked up, fear lancing her heart.

"What? What is it? Tell me, is she okay? What's wrong with--?" When she started to cough, the nurse moved their webbed hands up to her chest, and she felt a cool soothing feeling spread through her lungs, calming her.

"There's nothing to fear, Ambassador," the nurse replied with a gentle smile. "However, I do think you need to have a chat with your doctor." They paused. "And your mother. And possibly your husband."

Frisk's scowl returned, and the nurse laughed, holding up their hands in surrender. "She's fine, your little kid. No damage done, nothing abnormal. She's fine. I assure you."

"Thank you," she said honestly. "Now please get out."

They were laughing as they obeyed, handing Dr Thicke the chart as she walked by. She eyed it as she walked past Tim and George with a smile, then stopped, blinking in surprise.

"Uhh..." she said slowly, her eyes meeting Frisk's. "Did they tell you?"

"No, but _someone_ better," Frisk answered tersely, her hands on her stomach, now, carefully going over the slight bump there. "Or I'm going to start freaking out."

Dr Thicke smiled and went to her side. "First of all, stop worrying. Now, as you know, your Nickname is healthy and and growing normally."

"Yes, I know."

"Normally... for a _monster_ baby. Not a _human_ baby."

Frisk sighed, still not getting it. "Meaning?"

"What it means is that you're technically not just _one_ month pregnant, Frisk, but the human equivalent of _three."_

Frisk stared at her, the sudden realisation finally hitting home. Her fingers curled over her stomach - already so firm. "So that means...?"

"It's why they already know the sex, Ambassador," Dr Thicke replied. "Instead of the usual nine months, you're looking at five, maybe six months, tops. Less, actually."

Frisk wanted to be happy, but instead she felt a bite of fear. "Will she be okay, with me staying here as long as I already have? Is she going to be safe? Doctor..."

The doctor waved a hand suddenly, and Toriel, who was hovering at the door waiting, rushed in, her eyes bright.

She swooped down and hugged Frisk tight. "I'm so thrilled, child!"

Frisk stared at her, and Toriel put a hand to Frisk's cheek gently. "Oh, my, I should have warned you about this sooner, but I wasn't sure I would even have to, and then everything happened so fast and there was no time..."

She cupped Frisk's face into her hands when she saw that her daughter was still frowning. "Dear, what's wrong?"

"I'm scared, Mami," she admitted.

"But whyever for?"

"Because I'm _here,_ stuck in this hospital on all of these medications, and she's so new, and we're not ready, and I thought I'd have at least six months to prepare, and... and..." She put a hand to her chest, her face pale, and she shut her eyes, breathing through her nose slowly, trying to calm herself down.

Dr Thicke smiled calmly. "You're going to stay here for a bit, yes. And you have been on medications. But - save one instance, obviously - we've kept all of your medicines dosed in order to be safe, and once you get home, things will be much easier for you and your daughter. Plus, I'll be available to you any time you need me to be, all along the way."

Frisk stared at her. "But I'm human," she protested. "What if I can't even give birth to her? What if that hurts her? What if it... what if I...?"

She shuddered, hugging her middle and lowering her head. "What if I kill her trying to give birth?" she whispered.

Dr Thicke hesitated, clearly not sure, herself, still learning monster anatomy herself.

Toriel suddenly coughed, her cheeks pink.

When both the doctor and Frisk looked at her, she said, rather slyly, "Take it from an old lady: it's possible, and I know you won't kill her."

"Hey!" Asriel interrupted, at the door and holding a bag and a tray of paper cups. "I brought real food. Does anyone, say, a new mom, want any?" He grinned.

Dr Thicke scowled at him for the 'real food' comment, but Frisk lit right up. She'd been on IV fluids as well as literal fluids the entire time she'd been there and was desperate for real food. So, she imagined, was Nicky.

When he caught the doctor's look, he shrank a little and asked, "Is it okay?"

"Yes," Dr Thicke sighed. She turned to Frisk and said, rather sternly, "But chew slowly and carefully, Frisk, and take deep breaths between each bite, okay? We can't risk another collapse."

Frisk nodded sombrely, and Dr Thicke gave her a final smile and left.

Asriel blushed, looking embarrassed and chastised. "Sorry."

Frisk's hands were already making grabbing motions toward the bag, her face getting back its colour at once. She hadn't realised how hungry she actually was until she smelt the food.

Toriel laughed, and Asriel grinned at her, holding the bag just out of reach - until Frisk reached out and sank her nails into his hip. He winced, then surrendered it to her, muttering, "Yeah, I deserved that." He sat down next to Toriel.

"You did," Toriel agreed, taking a paper cup and smelling it happily before sipping from it (mocha, of course). "Also, we have an estimate now for Nicky's birth."

He froze in mid-sip of his own drink (black coffee). With a look to Frisk, who was already stuffing her face without another glance, he nodded, though he looked fearful.

Toriel gave him a reassuring smile. "Nickname is just fine, but growing fast. It seems she's more monster kid than human."

Asriel hurriedly swallowed the bite of food he'd just taken and exclaimed, "Really? So then, five months? _Really?!"_

Frisk looked at him in surprised; he sounded thrilled, and he was grinning so happily it was almost contagious.

"Or less? I hope less. Is it less, Mom?" He beamed at her hopefully. 

"Yes, my boy, it's less," she laughed.

Asriel grinned wider, shutting his eyes and tugging at his hair with obvious enthusiasm. Then he started laughing, the sound so happy it was like music.

"You're not scared?" Frisk wondered between bites, still surprised by his casual reception of this news.

Asriel jumped to his feet and hugged her in response, so hard she almost dropped her food. "Not even a bit!" he replied.

"You weirdo!" she answered. "Only _you_ would be happy about less time to prepare for a baby!"

"Children," Toriel broke in, using her 'listen to your mother or suffer' tone of voice. "You need to eat."

Asriel was still grinning when he sat back down, this time beside Frisk on her bed, and they resumed eating, Frisk doing her best to pace herself, but the soup and soft bread tasted so good it was rather difficult, because it tasted like the best thing she'd ever had in a long, long time.

"Wheresh Papi?" Frisk wondered.

"Eat or talk, but never do both, dear," Toriel answered automatically. "Gorey is visiting Undyne right now. He hasn't been able to up until now and wanted to make sure she's doing okay."

"That's good," Asriel said. "I did hear on the way here that Undyne's been alone for a while - well, I think Shyren was there, but I didn't see her - so it's good Dad's there, now."

"Wait," Frisk frowned. "Alone? Where are Alphys and Papyrus?"

"Hm, good question," Toriel agreed. She took out her cellphone and began texting, and while they waited for an answer, Asriel smiled at Frisk, unable to help it. He looked so silly she bumped his shoulder with hers a little, smiling back, and he laughed.

"Well," Toriel said, getting an answer back. "Papyrus is still with sans at the police station, and Alphys is on her way back here, but only briefly. Apparently sans is going to cooperate with his own persecution, and both of them are going to support him."

An unhappy silence fell over this, Frisk almost losing her appetite. She didn't want sans to get into trouble, but she also knew that if he didn't, it would cause more tension, something they didn't need.

"Do you think the bastard will be okay?" Asriel wondered, sounding genuinely concerned.

This surprised both Frisk and Toriel, and it must have showed, because he added, "I don't blame him for his actions." His voice went quiet, and he looked away. "I wish I could do the same, to be honest."

"Oh, love, no," Frisk said gently, placing her hand on his cheek. "I'm going to be okay, and Nicky is just fine. More violence helps no one."

"Exactly," Toriel agreed. "But it doesn't mean we can't fantasise about it, though, does it? I personally enjoy the idea of setting them on fire. Just a _little_ bit."

"Or shooting them in the same way they shot Frisk and Undyne."

"Or perhaps an 'accidental' shove down a flight of stairs, or off a balcony."

"I like that one."

"You two..." Frisk scowled. "That's what I'm trying to _stop_ , you know."

"No, don't use _logic_ , Frisk!" Asriel groaned. "Let us dream!"

She tolled her eyes and decided to eat, as her mother and husband took turns exchanging more methods of, in Frisk's opinion, madness.

* * *

"It's about time you came to see me, old man!" Undyne exclaimed happily, as Asgore leaned down to hug her - only to be dragged down and embraced fiercely, which brought him to a stumble and lose all breath for a moment.

When he could, he hugged her as tightly as he dared, and his eyes burned. Undyne looked pale and lonely, but when she saw him, she lit up at once.

"Howdy, Undyne," he said gently, rubbing her back.

She shut her eye, trying not to tear up, herself. She was so relieved to see him - and see him safe. "What _took_ you so long?!" she demanded, though she smiled.

He gave her a gently squeeze, then said, "Oh, you know, lazy old me."

She laughed and punched his back, then let go. She already knew why he'd been busy, and thus was able to appreciate his attempt of a joke.

He sat down and smiled, but unfortunately couldn't hide his tears, and her smile faded. "How _are_ you doing, Undyne?"

She looked down at her hands in her lap, the IVed one atop the other. "I'm fine. It's everyone else that has issues. Everyone keeps fussing over me, like I'm made of glass, which I'm _not_ , by the way--,"

Asgore took hold of her IVed hand gently, silencing her. She didn't look up, but she bit her lip, her eye narrowing, especially when he asked, "How are you _actually_ doing, Undyne?"

She was silent for a moment before she finally answered. "It hurts, okay? All of it. My side, the attacks, the unfairness. I wish... _Sometimes_ , I wish could we could seal all of _them_ away underground."

He nodded. "And yet, despite it all, you still did a great thing, Undyne."

She shook her head. "I failed, Asgore. Frisk got hurt, and bad, because I wasn't fast enough. I have one job." She smirked without humour. "You should fire me."

Asgore lowered his head, unable to help it. "But you saved _me,_ Undyne. I... I couldn't believe it. You didn't even hesitate. You just ran in and took it, for me."

"Because!" She growled it out suddenly, her eye now wet, though her face was furious. "I'm not going to let some stupid asshole kill you!"

"I owe you my life, Undyne."

"Don't be a dumbass, Asgore," she answered sharply, her other hand angrily rubbing her eye. "All you owe me is that you stay alive for a while longer, okay?"

"And I plan to," he agreed. "But I don't want it to be at your expense. _That's_ _not_ _your job, Undyne,_ and you darn well _know_ it!"

Undyne glared at him. "Whatever it takes. You're the one we need the most."

 _"No,"_ he snapped suddenly, his head up and now meeting her gaze. _"Never_ at the expense of you, or anyone else, for that matter."

"Asgore..." She sighed. "It's not like I'm saying a person has to die every year you're alive!"

 _"Dammit,_ Undyne."

Shocked, Undyne closed her mouth at that.

"That's _not_ what I meant and you _know_ it. I don't want _anyone_ to die for me, _ever_. I've had enough death to last my lifetime and many, many more." Asgore looked desperate, now. "To lose _any_ of you, _especially_ you, someone I love and consider as one of my own, I will _not_ allow. Understand?"

"Asgore." Undyne squeezed his hand. _"You_ have to understand something. We love you, and feel the same way about _you_. Telling me not to protect you is like asking me not to love you." And now she glowered. "And _no one_ tells me whom I can and can't love, not even a king to his knight. Do _you_ understand?"

He was silent, his tears falling free. "So you all die while I live without you?" he demanded. "Is that the ideal situation to you?"

"Don't be a moron," she snapped. Then she grinned suddenly. "We're a family. We live or die altogether."

Asgore searched her face then, seeing both the impetuous young girl that challenged him, and the strong woman that grew up into a beautiful, true warrior. He was so proud and yet so sad, but most of all amazed, by her all at once that he hugged her again, and she returned it with gusto, her own tears falling, now.

"Thank you," he whispered.

"Anytime, Dad," she replied.


	11. Nine: All That's Left Is Hurt

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some important notes for this chapter. Near the end, I introduce another OC, but he's not mine. He's the creation of PhalinRed, who has been helping me with much of this fic, as well as writing a semi-sequel to this (which is fucking amazing and made me so happy I cried) that takes place during the events of this one. Once it's up, I will have it linked here (in these brackets) so that you can read it and get more on his story - and how they both connect. 
> 
> Again, I must thank PhalinRed for the awesome support and amazing kindness shown towards me. It's far more than I deserve, but damn, am I honoured for getting it. Thank you so much!!

When questioned, sans told the truth: he was enraged by the near-murder of his close friend and lost control of his temper - and his magic. There was no use in denying it, and the only shame he felt was when he thought of how Frisk would react when she found out.

By the time they'd isolated him for questioning, the entire building was surrounded by press. He regretted that, too, but there was little he could do about it and still toe the line like he promised. He already knew what they'd say, anyway.

The officers questioning him - one human and one monster for fairness - were actually rather unsympathetic, which surprised him, especially coming from the monster officer; he'd thought there would be at least _some_ empathy there.

But then, perhaps that's why he could never be an officer himself. For sans, everything tended to be rather monochrome, when, in order to be a _true_ law enforcer, the world needed to be full colour.

 _His_ ways were useful for _other_ kinds of enforcement, but not for this. He couldn't use _that_ for this. He'd even asked - and was told, very angrily, no. 

sans knew he was in trouble. He also knew that, if he wanted, he could vanish from that trouble without looking back. But he intended to keep his word to Alphys and would see it all through, and even when he was met with stony glares and led back to his cell, he still vowed to keep it - even though he was rather irritated by then.

Papyrus was waiting for him when he returned with another cup of ketchup, this time with a swirl of mustard in it. He smiled, so grateful for his brother, despite knowing that he was likely due for another lecture or two.

But Papyrus surprised him; once sans was locked back up and Papyrus was told he had a half-hour, he kept quiet, his eyes staring into sans's, completely unreadable.

"you okay, bro?" sans asked, feeling genuine concern. Papyrus's face was drawn. "has there been another attack, more bad news?"

"NO," Papyrus answered finally. "I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU."

sans stared at him in surprise. "why? everything's gonna be fine, even if they sentence me or whatever. i'm not gonna run. i promised, remember?"

"I THINK YOU SHOULD."

Now sans was the one speechless.

"I THINK YOU SHOULD RUN AS SOON AS YOU CAN, AND HIDE," Papyrus elaborated, his voice eerily calm. "I'M FEARFUL THAT IF YOU ARE KEPT HERE, THE HUMANS WILL KILL YOU."

"like _that_ would be an easy thing to do," sans replied. "and besides, i doubt after what i did, they'd put me with humans, anyway."

"I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD STOP THEM, SANS. I CAN'T THINK OF ANY OTHER SOLUTION TO THIS, OTHER THAN FOR YOU TO RUN AWAY."

"except that i'm staying, papyrus," sans answered firmly. "i don't break my promises, and didn't i promise to see this through, to own up to my mistakes?"

"YES, AND WHY DID YOU?" Papyrus wondered.

"so that i can make sure i'm not the only one who does."

* * *

Alphys was just walking into the hospital when she got a text: _"Where are you, Alphysy?"_

She smiled and answered it, and soon, after a short wait, Mettaton turned a corner and found her, his face drawn in deep worry. He'd had a show tour that had spanned several days and hadn't been able to get away until that day, no matter how hard he tried.

He went right up to Alphys and hugged her tight, so hard she shut her eyes and hugged back as tight as she could.

She knew how much Mettaton loved Frisk, despite their shaky start, but she also knew that he was here to primarily see her and Undyne. Though they constantly bickered, over time, they'd actually become good friends. When Alphys had called him to tell him the bad news, he went quiet for so long she'd thought they'd been disconnected.

"It's okay," she said to him now, gently. "Both Frisk and Undyne are going to be okay. Asgore is with Undyne right now, but I'm sure she won't mind seeing you, too." Mettaton said nothing, just hugged her tighter, so she tried to continue. "Really, it's okay--,"

"Alphys," he interrupted sharply. "Cry. _Now."_

"Huh?"

He pulled away to put a hand to her cheek. "Cry, darling. I know you haven't, not in the way you truly need. We're alone, so now you can."

Alphys's mouth went dry. "Th-that's not true!" she protested, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "I-I've cried enough over the past few days t-to fill a _pond!_ I-I don't n- _need_ to--,"

"Oh, _stop lying,_ Alphys!" he cut her off, frustrated. "I _know_ you! Stop lying, right now!" His hand moved from her cheek to her shoulder, rubbing gently. "Before we go in there, you need to cry for _real._ You're burning yourself out, and if you do, you won't be able to help _anyone_ , least of all your crazy wife."

"Mettaton, I don't _want_ to cry anymore," she answered, trying to pull away, but he was much stronger than her, and held her in place. "Once I see this whole thing through, maybe _then_ I'll have a good cry, o-okay?" She tried again to escape, but again he kept her still.

"Alphys," he said gently, "your wife almost _died."_

She glared at him. "Stop," she answered. "Don't try to manipulate me. Don't try to make me break down. I-I can't anyway. Undyne needs me to be s-strong, okay?"

She swallowed hard. _"S-she_ wouldn't cry. _She_ wouldn't br-break down. I-I need to be strong for her."

"Crying _isn't_ weak, Alphys!"

"It is to _me!"_

"Alphys, stop lying!" he insisted.

Angry now, she tried to pull away yet again, but only succeeded in making him tighten his hold on her. She tried to swat his hands away with her tail, but he didn't even blink.

"Let me go," she growled out, her voice low. "She needs me. I need to go to her." She clenched her fists. "Let _go_ , Mettaton!"

"No," he answered sadly. "Not until _you_ let yourself go first, Alphysy."

She took a breath to start yelling at him, to tell him to let go or she'd use magic, to tell him to go to hell, even, but instead, she ended up saying exactly what she didn't want to. "I-I'm _trash,_ Mettaton! I f-failed her! I was r-right there, r-right beside her, and-and..."

To her horror, she sobbed, her hands going to her chest. They were the tears she hated the most, the kind that wrenched the breath from one's lungs and almost made one retch from them. They were full of hatred, but only for herself.

"She... she almost... I-if she had..." Her hands suddenly lashed out, striking Mettaton on his chest, trying to pull away again.

"Mettaton, _l-let me g-go!"_ she shut her eyes and felt something break, deep in her chest, and she sobbed out, _"Pl-please let me go!"_

Then she keened out, a drawn-out sound of helplessness, of sorrow. It was full of such pain that Mettaton closed his eyes, feeling pain of his own from it.

Her head lowered to his shoulder, her fists still striking him, only weakly now, as she blurted out, her voice broken, _"My wife... my Undyne..._  Wh-why did they...? Why  _Undyne...?!"_

She grated the name out, and Mettaton held her close. When she dissolved into those tears she had hidden for days, he kept her on her feet and comforted her the best he could.

He had been right, but he hated it.

When forced to, Alphys had to face the horror that Undyne could be taken from her in the blink of an eye, at any time, and it _terrified_ her. The thought of Undyne being stolen from her so cruelly had been threatening to burn her out - just like he had thought.

If it hadn't been for him, it would have.

* * *

Asriel, Frisk and Toriel were watching TV (not the news, but a show called "The Twilight Zone" that fascinated Asriel and Toriel with its cleverness) when a monster nurse came in and gestured to Toriel to follow him. Bemused, she did so, and they went to the hallway to speak quietly.

Toriel stepped back and put a hand to her chest, before saying, quite sharply, "Take me to him now." Then, she and the nurse were down the hallway and gone.

Both of her children stared. "What the hell was _that_ about?" Asriel wondered.

Frisk looked nervous, but Asriel looked back to her and added, "Whatever it was, if it had been about you, I'm sure we'd both know."

"Do you think she's okay?" Frisk wondered.

Asriel hesitated. "She sounded upset, but I'm sure she'll tell us when she gets back."

Gently, he leaned over and put his arms around her, pulling her close. She curled up against him, and they resumed watching TV again, though both were still distracted.

* * *

Asgore was also called away in a similar fashion, which gave both Alphys and Mettaton the chance to visit Undyne together.

 _"Alphy!"_ Undyne grabbed her the moment she was in reach, holding her so tight it made Alphys dizzy, but she didn't mind. She practically collapsed into it, hugging back as tight as she could without hurting Undyne, and she knew she still shook a little from before - and that Undyne could tell.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" she whispered, giving Mettaton a small wave in greeting as she did.

"N-nothing," Alphys lied. "I'm just glad to see you." That, at least, was true. She reluctantly pulled away, avoiding Undyne's gaze.

Undyne's eye narrowed, always able to tell when Alphys lied to her, but she was unwilling to bring it up in front of Mettaton at the moment.

"Hello, Diva," Undyne said instead when he stood beside Alphys with a smile.

She punched his shoulder, and he staggered dramatically, crying out, "Gah! What injury are you supposed to have?! You're _stronger_ , if anything! Are they giving you _steroids?!"_

"Don't be a puke," Undyne replied with a grin, though she flexed her arm at him anyway.

Alphys smiled a little, which helped Undyne relax - but only a little, as small as that smile.

"Undyne, my dear, this place is wretched," Mettaton complained, looking around the room with a sour expression. "If you let me, I can spruce it up in no time."

"It's a hospital room, you dumb sparkplug," she shot back. "It's not supposed to be _pretty."_

"But it _could_ be!"

And that's when they hugged, laughing together at last. It had taken them years, but in their own way, they were truly friends, at first just for Alphys, but soon for each other.

It was always nice to see, especially for Alphys. She stood a bit away, a hand to her cheek, always loving their banter but still feeling far too emotionally fragile to join in just yet, though she wanted to.

"Now, Diva, if you don't mind, it seems my wife and I need to have a little chat," Undyne was saying, startling Alphys out of her reverie at once.

Mettaton pouted. "I _do_ mind! I just got here!"

"And you can come back - with drinks." Undyne's eye narrowed and her smile widened, and he sighed, held up his hands, and muttered something about green tea and lattes, before he dejectedly left the room.

Undyne looked over at Alphys, who was now looking at her feet, embarrassed.

"Alphy..." Undyne said it gently, but with obvious confusion, too. It was one word, one name, but it seemed to break Alphys open all at once.

"Undyne..." she said softly. "Y-you say _you_ failed, that _you_ sc-screwed up be-because of what happened, but you didn't. _I-I_ did. And I-I can... barely stand it.'

Undyne stared at her for a moment, before saying, "C'mere, Alphy." She held her arms out, her confusion and irritation fading at once.

When Alphys hesitated, she added, "Or I'll get up and go to you."

Alphys sighed, then did so, and Undyne hugged her close, though she just stood there, unable to hug back or even look at Undyne, even when she said, "I completely understand, Alphy."

When Alphys said nothing, Undyne added, "It's how I feel, remember? I'm just glad you're not hurt, because..." Biting her lip, she held Alphys closer, shutting her eye tight. _"That_ would kill me, not some asshole's bullet."

Again, Alphys seemed to break open, unable to help it. She clung to Undyne, then, stammering, " _no_ ," over and over, her tears returning despite how hard she fought them.

Undyne held her close, comforting her, and Alphys finally found herself able to let some of that guilt go at last.

* * *

"A student, Tori?" Asgore demanded, his eyes blazing.

They stood just outside of another room, Toriel drying her tears on her sleeve, her face awash in grief.

"Yes," she agreed. "One of the older students. You know him: Iggy."

Asgore started in shock. _"Iggy?!"_ he echoed, the name conjuring up a sweet monster youth from Toriel's school, one smart but also kind. An avian monster, he was sharp of wit and had a keen sense of humour, and he always seemed to have something nice to say, despite being almost painfully shy - especially about humans. "Iggy _Reden?!"_

 __Asgore was shocked for another reason, as well, but it was one he couldn't discuss in front of Toriel - yet.

Toriel nodded, her hand to her mouth, now, her eyes on the figure in the room, lying prone in the hospital bed - badly beaten.

"But _why?"_

Toriel looked back at him. "Because he loved a human girl."


	12. Ten: Like A Boat Into Oblivion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, Iggy is the character of PhalinRed and is used gratefully with permission.

When she heard the news about Iggy, Frisk was furious. She remembered him from substituting at the school, as well as working with Toriel.

She was so angry that she was warned by Dr Thicke that if she didn't calm down, she would be sedated. Asriel tried to calm her down, but she was still furious.

"Who did it? I'll find them, and I'll..." She coughed, putting a hand to her chest.

"Frisk, stop, or I'm getting the doctor," Asriel warned, though he kept holding her close to him.

She nodded, gritting her teeth and taking a few deep breaths, and he relaxed, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "They don't know who did it, yet, but doesn't Iggy have a cop in his family? His brother? They'll find out in no time, I'm sure."

She glared at him, but he knew it wasn't personal. "I need to get out of here and get back to work. I need to make things right, Asriel."

"Stop," he begged, stroking her hair gently. "There's still plenty of time. You need to recover, first. You can't do a damned thing if you're still hurt, yourself, Frisk."

"This isn't the world I want for us, or for Nicky," she whispered, leaning into his side and shutting her eyes. "I want her to be free and fine, Asriel."

"Me, too," he agreed. "But it looks like it's still going to take some work."

"Then I have to work _harder."_

 _"We,"_ Asriel corrected gently. "We have to work harder."

She opened her eyes and looked up at him sadly, but he smiled.

Wordlessly, she reached up and kissed him, one he returned gladly, knowing she was relieved to have him there, and therefore not alone - because it was how _he_ felt whenever he thought of her.

* * *

At night, when everyone but Asriel had to leave the hospital until tomorrow, Frisk dreamt while in his arms. They had fallen asleep, to the annoyance of Dr Thicke, together on Frisk's bed (Asriel and the doctor had argued about this from the start, but Asriel refused to leave every time. It was only when the doctor saw how much better Frisk seemed to be with him there that she finally gave up), when she had the clearest dream she'd ever had in her life.

_She stood at the podium again, her speech spread out before her, Asriel beside her, Asgore, Undyne and Alphys beside her, and sans behind her. Before her was a sea of people, filming and waiting for her to speak._

_When she tried, all she could do was mouth the words, until suddenly all she could taste was blood. She looked up from her papers, and the room was now empty, save her and, of all people, Carlson. He stood holding a gun, and she realised her chest was bleeding, though she felt no pain, nor had she heard a gunshot._

_She stared at him, and he spoke. "Within you is the final thread that will connect everything together. You, and she, need to die. And so does anyone else who may plan on carrying future threads that would make that tapestry I - and many like me - do not want."_

_Suddenly, she felt a hand take hers, downy and small. She turned to look, but only caught a glimpse of light hair and small horns before everything suddenly went white._

_Then, she heard a song, the lullaby she had first heard Underground._

_Slowly, things shifted from white to reality, and she found herself at home in Solace with Asriel. She sat with him on the couch, watching the news on TV._

_It was of herself standing at the podium, blood pouring from her chest. She spoke, but all she said was, "We need this Treaty," over and over._

_"No wonder it failed," Asriel said, though he sounded cheerful. "You didn't even mention children."_

_"Why would I?" she wondered. "They're impossible."_

_"No, they're not. But everyone thinks they should be. Do you?"_

_"No. Why would I?"_

_"Because everyone thinks they'll just cause chaos, but we know better, don't we? We know they'll be peace."_

_When she heard the second gunshot from the TV, they turned back to see Frisk fall from the podium._

_"Oh," she said calmly. "I'm dead."_

And she woke up with a sudden gasp, coughing, which in turn woke Asriel.

"Easy..." he said gently, holding her up and rubbing her back slowly, as she struggled to slow her breathing and her heart.

"As... Asriel," she said hoarsely, grabbing onto one of his hands tight. "Asriel, I need your help..."

"You have it," he said immediately. "What can I do?"

"Call... call City Hall," she said, her eyes meeting his and glinting like steel. "We need... another press conference, here."

"But, now? Here? Frisk... I don't understand."

She swallowed, grabbed his other hand, and told him her plans.

* * *

The next morning, Undyne awoke and found Alphys asleep, still sitting in her chair but also lying halfway on Undyne's bed, her hand clutching Undyne's in her slumber.

Undyne stared at her, swallowing hard, being careful not to make any sudden movements lest she wake her up. With a full heart, she reached down and gently brushed her fingertips over her wife's forehead, easing the slight frown from her slumbering face.

Undyne smiled faintly, unable to help feeling a stab of tenderness at this. She leaned down and carefully rested her cheek against Alphys's head, closing her eye and sighing deeply, her arm going around Alphys's shoulders. Alphys stirred, sighed, then relaxed, her claws flexing a bit on Undyne's hand as she did so. But she didn't wake up, and Undyne was relieved.

She knew that that meant Alphys had stayed up most of the night, and was so tired, very little would wake her. So Undyne stayed right where she was, her eye closed, listening to Alphys breathe deeply in her slumber.

She must have dozed off, because she woke next to a hand gently shaking her shoulder. She opened her eye and raised her head and found Mettaton's hand there, his other hand holding breakfast with a wide smile.

"Ah, a wonderful sight, indeed," she said, as he handed her a bagel. "The _food_ , not _you_ , Diva." Which earned her a pout.

Alphys stirred again when Mettaton shook her shoulder, next, though she was much slower to wake. She sat up with her eyes still closed, hunched over and rubbing at them sleepily.

"What time is it?" she murmured.

"Morning," Undyne replied, surprising the sleep out of Alphys. She looked at her, saw that she was looking well, and smiled, a smile so warm and genuine that Undyne again felt tenderness hit her heart, and she smiled back.

Alphys smiled wider, then sat up and gave Undyne a kiss, one Undyne returned happily. _This_ was the Alphys she knew, and seeing her back was a great comfort, to say the least.

"Darlings," Mettaton said, sounding irritated. "I adore you, but try to eat the _food,_ please."

They broke apart, Alphys blushing with a smile, Undyne scowling at Mettaton, but he just grinned. He'd seen the change in Alphys, too, and was also happy to see it - happy enough to tease.

"Sorry," Alphys muttered, sipping her coffee, though she didn't look too sorry, and she still smiled. She felt better this morning, despite the lack of real sleep the night before. Something seemed to have healed within her, and seeing Undyne smiling so happily was an added bonus to that feeling.

Undyne's doctor knocked on the door and said, "Are we awake?" When he got a confirmation, he walked in holding Undyne's chart. "I've got some good news for you: if you feel ready to, you can go home today."

Undyne stared at him. "Really?" she cried. "I can leave this stupid place?!"

The doctor sighed at that, but by now was used to it from her, so he nodded. "Yes, you can be discharged as early as this afternoon."

Undyne threw her arms up in the air. _"Fuck yeah!"_ she exclaimed happily - before she winced when the gesture brought a stab of pain to her side.

"Uh," she added, blushing. "Ignore that."

The doctor again sighed. "Yes, well, about that. You need to take it easy. Just because you're going home doesn't mean you're completely healed." He looked at Alphys, who smiled. "I think you're the one who needs to hear how to take care of her, right?"

_"Hey!"_

"Most likely," Alphys agreed. Mettaton snickered, and Undyne glared at him.

The doctor went over a basic outline of daily care for Undyne's wound that would be necessary for a full recovery, and Alphys listened carefully. Undyne also listened, eating her breakfast rather aggressively, but she didn't argue with anything he said, which was a good sign.

When he was done, however, Undyne had one question, one she asked bluntly. "What about sex?" Both the doctor and Mettaton blinked in surprise, but Alphys did not. Rather, she was quite impressed that Undyne had managed to restrain herself from asking for so long. She just smiled, though her cheeks did heat up a bit.

"Well," the doctor said, "if you're gentle, and you avoid any unnecessary strain to your side, sex should be just fine after a few days of rest at home." When Undyne's eye shone, he narrowed his at her in warning. "I said _gentle,_ and no strain, Undyne. Meaning be careful."

"Don't worry," Alphys said, still smiling, though her face was red, now. She couldn't help it; Undyne was now staring at her in _that_ specific way that always made her go scarlet. "I'll make sure she doesn't go crazy."

Mettaton both snorted and made gagging noises, earning him a piece of bagel landing in his hair - something he did _not_ like at all.

"You also need to come back for regular check-ups here, once a week for at least a month," the doctor went on. "And if you need it, we can give you pain medicine until you're more healed up and don't need it."

He paused, looking very sombre. "I can't stress this enough, Undyne: you need to be careful. You can't risk infection or reopening the wound, or you're going to be set back even more. Understand?"

Undyne nodded, just as sombre, taking him seriously, now. "Yes, doctor. I'll be careful."

But then she almost ruined it by looking back at Alphys with a grin. _"Mostly."_

More retching noises from Mettaton seemed to conclude this rather perfectly.

* * *

"I strongly advise against this," Dr Thicke said, her face stern.

"As do I," Asgore agreed, his arms crossed. "You're not well enough, Frisk."

Frisk was glaring at both of them. "I don't care!" she snapped. "I need to do _something!_ Other people... innocent people like Iggy... They're getting hurt while I lie around and do _nothing_ \--,"

"While you _heal,"_ Asgore broke in, but she shook her head angrily.

"Ambassador," Dr Thicke said, using the title on purpose. "Please, I understand the urgency you feel, but to risk your health--,"

"I need to do this," Frisk interrupted, both of her hands over her stomach. Asriel was sitting beside her, silent, but it was obvious that he agreed with her, and not the doctor or Asgore.

"Yes," said Toriel suddenly. "You do need to do this, Frisk."

She had everyone's attention now, and she stood taller, her face serious. "You need to do this, right here, because otherwise, things like this and what happened to Iggy will keep happening. You need to tell them to stop, _now,_ because they will listen only to _you_ , my child. I'm sorry, doctor, but she's absolutely correct. She _must_ hold his press conference."

"But it will be absolute chaos," Dr Thicke protested. "Not to mention it will disturb the other patients, hinder their friends and family--,"

"She didn't say 'hey, invite every single person of the press,' Doctor," Asriel broke in.

"Exactly. I'm saying bring in the one crew from City Hall, for one conference, to then be freely rebroadcasted everywhere else. That's all I need." Frisk looked to Asgore, now. "Please, Papi. I need to do this. It could save so many people."

Asgore's arms uncrossed, and he looked at both Frisk and Asriel. Asriel's arm was around Frisk, his other hand over hers. Both shared the same look of stubborn determination, and even though he wanted to, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop either of them.

The longer he looked, however, the less he wanted to. Something deep in Frisk's eyes told him not to, and that she was right; this needed to be done, and now.

Toriel touched his shoulder. "Please, Gorey. Talk to the mayor, or whoever it takes."

"I still disagree with this," Dr Thicke said sharply. "But if you keep it small, I won't get in your way."

"Thank you so much," Frisk said to her. Then she turned to Asgore again. "Papi?"

He sighed. "Alright. Let's make this happen."


	13. Interlude Two: Always Does Her Best To Please

"Getting hungry, honey?" Frisk asked Nicky, who nodded. "Let's check on dinner, shall we?"

Together, they went into the house.

The kitchen was a mess, but that was normal when anyone else _but_ Toriel was in the kitchen. sans was gone, but Asriel and Undyne remained, whisper-fighting over how much of one ingredient was needed and why.

When Frisk and Nicky walked in, they stopped, but Undyne glowered, still. Asriel lit up when he saw them both, hugging both of them together, which made them both laugh.

"It's still gonna be a while," he whispered. "Do you need a snack?"

"I do!" Nicky agreed happily.

"Shh, kiddo," Undyne said softly. "Your Aunt Alphys needs her sleep, okay?"

"Oh!" Nicky covered her mouth, her voice going to a whisper. "I'm sorry! I forgot!"

Undyne patted her gently, then turned to Frisk. "So, how far are you in the big story?"

Frisk smiled. "Almost at the second press conference."

"Excellent," Undyne grinned, then looked back down at Nicky. "Hey! Wanna see my scar?"

Out of nowhere, Toriel was in the doorway. _"No!"_ she hissed. "Absolutely not! None of that, Undyne!"

"Mami, it's okay," Frisk replied. "She's seen mine, after all."

Toriel scowled. "It's bad enough you've taken over my kitchen! Now you have to corrupt my granddaughter, too?!"

"Ehmma!" Nicky whined to Toriel. "I want to know!"

"Ugh," a voice said from behind Toriel, sounding tired but a little amused. "Just show her."

"Alphy!" Undyne protested, pushing past everyone and going to her side. "Sweetie, why are you up? Go back to bed, okay?"

Alphys sighed, leaning against Undyne tiredly but making no move to leave. "No, it's okay, I'm awake," she admitted. "I'm also _starving."_

Undyne kissed her cheeks, then her nose, apologising with each one for waking her. Alphys's tired state was understandable, as she had trouble sleeping every night, now, barely able to lie down without having to adjust somehow to her increasing size. Every time Undyne accidentally woke her up, she felt terrible, but Alphys never made her feel bad for it.

Nicky, now holding a small stack of cookies, walked over to Alphys and hugged her as best she could. "I'm sorry, Auntie," she said softly.

Alphys smiled, placing a hand on Nicky's head gently. "Careful," she advised. "You'll get kicked."

It took a moment, but when Nicky jumped back with a delighted giggle from Alphys's round belly, Alphys also laughed. "Warned you," she teased.

"You kicked like that, too," Frisk said to Nicky, shooting Alphys a knowing smile - especially when Undyne leaned over and pressed her cheek against Alphys's stomach, her eye closed and wearing a wide grin. "I sometimes wished I could kick back."

Nicky scrunched up her face, which brought laughs from them. (Asriel was taking the time that Undyne was distracted to make the food his way, something she, distracted by her very pregnant wife, never even noticed, not even when she ate it later.)

Toriel looked at Alphys worriedly. "Are you _sure_ you're alright?"

Alphys nodded, her hand now on Undyne's head, stroking her hair gently. "I'm fine, just really hungry."

Nicky offered her a cookie, and she shook her head with a smile. "I need a bit more than that, but thank you, Nicky."

"Gah!" Undyne suddenly jerked back, a hand to her ear. "That one actually hurt! This is a demon child!"

Alphys smiled smugly at her. "I told you. She has _your_ legs. I _told_ you."

"Let me make you something, Alphys, dear," Toriel said, giving her son a gentle nudge aside from the stove in order to do so. Asriel stumbled but backed away, waiting patiently for his turn.

"That would be wonderful," Alphys said with a relieved sigh. "Is there... pie? Snail pie?"

"Blegh," Undyne answered, and Frisk made a face, but Toriel nodded with a smile. "I do have some left over, yes. You can have it." Alphys thanked her.

When Toriel's back was turned, Undyne waved Nicky over and quickly lifted her shirt, pointing to her scar with a grin.

Nicky shrieked and clapped, and the moment Toriel turned back with a scowl, Undyne's shirt was back in place and Undyne was looking up at the ceiling innocently.

Toriel glowered at her for a moment, then went back to the pie.

"Now that you have a snack, would you like more story, Nicky?" Frisk asked now. "Especially with an added visual?"

"Yesh pleash."

"Alright, let's go back outside. It's crazy in here." She grinned at Asriel, who winked at her in reply, then led their daughter outside into the backyard again.


	14. Eleven: Against The Fortress That It Made Of You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, Iggy and Darian are the characters of PhalinRed and are mentioned with permission.

"Hey, punk!"

"Undyne!" Frisk exclaimed with a grin as she was hugged - surprisingly gently - by Undyne. "They let you out? Are they crazy?" This earned her a rather vigorous hair-ruffling, but Undyne was grinning the entire time.

"Are _you_ crazy?" she demanded of Frisk. "What is this I hear about another press conference?"

She sat down in one of the chairs, the other currently occupied by Asriel, who was oddly quiet. He was still kind of nervous around Undyne, despite her being friendly to him, but she was still rather intimidating all the same.

"Forget about that for now!" Frisk said, surprising them both. "Are you alright? You... you got shot too."

"Yeah!" Undyne grinned. "Wanna see?" Without waiting for an answer, she lifted her shirt and showed her stitches to Frisk.

Frisk blinked, actually rather impressed, but Asriel looked away, his eyes huge and his hand to his mouth in shock.

Undyne had just been formally discharged for only an hour, and she insisted on seeing Frisk before anything else. Alphys had agreed, deciding to use the time to visit sans and Papyrus.

"Does it hurt a lot?" Frisk wondered. "Mine does. Do you want to see?"

 _"Hey,"_ Asriel protested, blushing. "She doesn't need to see it!"

Undyne smirked at him, lowering her shirt. "Someone's overprotective, I see."

Frisk smiled fondly at Asriel, who blushed, but she was already sitting up and bunching up her hospital gown. Carefully, she lifted it up to show her stitches, the bruising quite angry looking and large.

Undyne's smile faded the moment she saw it, and she looked up at Frisk. _"Damn,_ Frisk," she said softly, as Frisk let her gown fall. "No wonder it hurts you."

"It's alright," Frisk said honestly, and Asriel held her hand, also rather upset at seeing it. "It'll go away eventually."

Undyne bit her lip, her eye bright, and for a moment Asriel was surprised; he'd never seen this side of her before. "I'm so sorry, Frisk," she added.

"I'm sorry, too," Frisk replied.

Asriel was quiet, looking away again. Both Undyne and Frisk recognised that look: it was the one they usually saw Asgore make when he was trying not to cry. It was enough to make them smile, and Frisk gently reached out and placed her hand on his cheek. He sniffled, but looked up, and when she smiled, he returned it.

"Now, about this craziness," Undyne said.

Frisk let her hand drop with a sigh, one that Asriel shared. "You're worse than the doctor," Asriel grumbled. "It's not crazy."

"We'll see," Undyne answered, leaning back into her chair. "Have you heard from Asgore yet?"

Asriel suddenly snorted, and Frisk smiled. "Yep," said Frisk. "The mayor was excited about it, so much so that she called him back personally to approve it, and even offered to come along."

Undyne laughed, her hand at her side. "Oh, please tell me he said yes."

"He did, but Dr Thicke said no. Too many people would end up crowding the room," Frisk replied. "We barely got her to agree to the idea of a conference at all."

"Sounds like a hard-ass," said Undyne, sounding as if she admired the doctor for this rather than faulted her. "Can I meet her?"

"Probably," Asriel said. "She makes her rounds frequently enough."

"So when is it going to happen? Can I be here, too?" wondered Undyne.

"You can, yes, and it's tonight," Frisk replied. Undyne blinked in surprise. "It has to be as soon as possible. Did anyone tell you what happened recently?"

Undyne shook her head, so Frisk told her about Iggy. By the time she was done, Undyne was livid. "No offence," she growled, "but humans _suck_. That kid is a really nice one. How can anyone just beat him up?!"

"Exactly," Asriel nodded.

"So now you see that it's not so crazy now, right?" Frisk added, and Undyne nodded her head. "I'm glad you'll be here for it."

"Me, too," Undyne agreed. "I wouldn't miss it for anything, especially now. Where is Asgore now?"

"He went to get a copy of the Treaty for me. I plan to actually read it this time," Frisk answered, her eyes hard.

"Which I don't think you need," said Asriel, surprising her. "You actually probably don't even need to read it. It's been online for days. Everyone's probably read it by now."

Frisk sighed, but Undyne agreed. "He's right. You don't need to. I think you should use the time to say something else."

"Like what?"

Undyne shrugged with a smile. "I dunno, but that's _your_ job, isn't it? You're the Ambassador, not me. You have a way with words no one else does."

"Thanks, Undyne, that's very helpful," Frisk answered flatly, and Undyne laughed.

"I'm glad you're okay, punk," she said now, giving Frisk's shoulder a light punch. "Without you, the world would completely suck."

Asriel smiled. "I just hope, after tonight, everyone else sees it, too," he agreed, deciding that perhaps Undyne wasn't so scary, after all.

* * *

When Alphys held out a bottle of relish through the bars to sans, it surprised him. She smiled. "I'm sure the food here is bad, right?"

"well, papyrus is here and he helps get me decent food, but yeah, it sucks." He took it. "thank you."

"I also came by to offer you use of my phone, for tonight," she added. "And also to find out when your hearing is."

"my hearing's tomorrow, but what do you mean, for tonight? what's tonight?" sans looked confused.

Alphys stared at him. "Didn't Papyrus tell - oh - he probably doesn't know, either!"

"share, please," he said, now looking impatient.

"Frisk is having a second press conference from the hospital tonight. Don't worry!" Alphys held up her hands before he could even say anything. "She'll be safe. It's just one crew, and she'll be surrounded by us - people she can count on - and not outnumbered by people she can't."

sans's eyes flickered, before he drank some of his relish to calm himself. Then he said, "i wish i could come along."

"I know." She paused, then held out her phone. "It's why I'm offering you this, sans. My phone." sans stared at her, then at the phone, before going back to her, obviously surprised. "I'm just saying: the option is right here."

"actually, if it's the same to you, i'll just use my bro's," he said. "but, alphys?"

She was surprised by his refusal but took it well, replacing her phone into her pocket. "Yes?"

"it means a lot that you offered. thank you."

Alphys nodded with a smile. "I'll come back after the conference, okay?"

"with mustard this time?"

She laughed. "I'll bring you a three-pack."

"sweet."

* * *

Asriel and Frisk were finally alone, after Undyne got a text from Alphys to meet her for an early dinner before the conference. Asgore was still arranging it, and Toriel was visiting Iggy with his brother, Darian. Other than Tim and George, they were alone, and enjoying it.

Asriel's hand was over Frisk's stomach gently, his face so happy it made her smile.

"I can't wait, Frisk," he admitted, and she laughed.

"You have to," she reminded him, and he pouted.

Gently, she touched his cheek, and he leaned into her hand, closing his eyes. She trailed it up and curled her fingers behind his ear and began scratching. He smiled wider, his eyes closing, and he relaxed.

"Oh, I hope she has your ears," Frisk laughed.

"Hrngh," he replied, shifting his head a little, his other hand on her forearm lightly. "I hope she looks like you..."

"No way," she answered, shifting her fingers to the other side of his head, and his hand on her stomach twitched in delight. "I'm too plain. You, though, you're adorable."

"Mrngh," he answered grinning wider, and she laughed again.

"Ah, Asriel, I love you so much." She couldn't help but say it; he was just so wonderful to her, and she felt so lucky to have him at her side. He'd been so loyal, staying with her through the worst, and yet he still found such happiness in such simple things, like an ear scratch.

Asriel opened his eyes and gazed at her, and she saw that love returned, so intensely she felt her heart race. He leaned close and kissed her, his arms going around her gently, and she returned it, her own arms going around him, her heart soaring. It was a gentle kiss, one that spoke louder than words, and when she lay back, he followed, careful not to hurt her but unable to help kissing her deeper in reply.

The sound of a throat clearing broke them apart, but Asriel put his forehead to hers and sighed before sitting up reluctantly. Frisk smiled at him, staying where she was, but both looked over and saw Dr Thicke standing there, her eyes narrowed and her arms crossed.

"Do _not_ do _that_ _,"_ she advised sharply, and they both blushed. "Now, if you both can pay attention, I have some news. The mayor called again and said that the press - people she chose herself - will be here in a hour. Are you ready for it?"

Frisk blushed deeper, sitting up again. "I am, but... I'd like to get cleaned up, first. It's been days..."

Asriel lit up suddenly, turning to Dr Thicke eagerly. "Don't let the nurses do it, please. Let me. Can I do it?"

"Can you behave yourself?" she shot back. "Otherwise, no. She's not ready for a lot of... activity... quite yet."

Asriel scowled. "Give me some credit, please! I would never endanger her, or Nicky, okay?" When Dr Thicke nodded, knowing he was sincere, he smiled.

Frisk also smiled and added, "I'll keep him in check," which seemed to mollify the doctor at once.

It turned out she didn't need to. Asriel helped her to one of the washrooms, moving slowly as she shakily walked while holding a portable IV pole.

Once there, he gently helped her undress while working around the IV, and though a little awkward with the tubes, he still managed to do it without much fuss. When he washed her body, she felt so precious in his hands, his touch so warm and soft that it comforted her.

When he washed her hair over the sink, she started to feel so much better, better than she had the whole time there. Asriel massaged her scalp carefully, making sure no soap dripped into her eyes, especially when rinsing the soap out. Once she was as clean as she could be, he brushed out her hair and helped her dress into clean pyjamas.

She felt like an actual person again, so much that she was smiling, and Asriel hugged her tight.

"Are you ready?" he asked her softly.

"No," she admitted, moving closer to him.

He held her tighter, stroking her wet hair slowly, and she buried her face into his shoulder, her eyes closed. "Ready now?" he asked.

"No," she repeated, clinging tighter.

He kissed her head, rubbing her back slowly, before asking, "Now?"

She paused, then nodded. "Okay. I'm ready."

* * *

Once Frisk was comfortable in her bed, Asriel actually sat in a chair beside her instead of on the bed like usual, holding her hand. Undyne and Alphys stood to her right, both looking carefully calm, though out of sight, they held hands tight.

Asgore and Toriel stood to Frisk's left, also calm, evoking ages-old memories of the royal couple they had once been, standing in ceremony, formidable and powerful - and also rather intimidating.

When the crew arrived and saw them, they were understandably wary, already nervous by the gravity of the situation, but now also of the monsters who surrounded Frisk like sentries.

Dr Thicke eyed the crew carefully. "You need to stay as unobtrusive as possible. If you endanger anyone's health, including the Ambassador's, _you're out._ Understand?"

The crew blanched collectively, the reporter nodding his head so hard it was dizzying. Dr Thick shot them a final glare, before she went to stand in the doorway out of view.

As they set up, Frisk felt herself grow more and more nervous. She had no script, but she knew what she wanted to say. Years of public speaking would help her, she knew, but she was still nervous. she knew how much rode on this single moment.

Asriel noticed she was shaking, so he took her hand between both of his now. She looked at him with wide eyes, and he lifted her hand to his lips and kissed each finger gently. "You're going to do great."

She bit her lip and nodded, and he nuzzled her hand gently before lowering it back to her side.

The lights went on, startling them both. The reporter adjusted his clothes carefully, then nodded to Frisk. "Are you ready, Ms Ambassador?"

She looked to her friends - her family - and they all gave her either smiles or nods, and she felt braver.

"Yes," Frisk said, her voice strong. "I'm ready."


	15. Twelve: Someone Cure Him Of His Grief

Papyrus held his phone in a way so that he and sans could both see the screen, and soon, after a moment of dead air, the press conference began.

"Good evening, and welcome to a special exclusive broadcast from the hospital where Ambassador Frisk Dreemurr is currently staying. She has called this broadcast for urgent reasons for everyone to see, and now we shall waste no more time and turn to her."

When the camera moved to Frisk, sans's hands grabbed onto the bars tight, his breath lost for a moment at the sight of her. She looked so small, frail, dark circles smudging beneath her eyes, a mess of tubes attached to her hand and nose. But then, those same eyes were bright, and her head was held high.

"Hello, everyone," she said, her voice a little raspy but still strong. "Thank you so much for watching. I know this is strange and sudden, but I feel the need to contact you right away, due to circumstances that I'm sure you are all, by now, well aware of."

"SHE'S STILL AN AMAZING AMBASSADOR, ISN'T SHE?" Papyrus said when she paused, smiling, and sans nodded, unable to disagree. He was amazed by her calm and her control in such a situation.

"Though I've been here for many days, now, I've heard of horrible things happening, including an attack against one of my former students, just because he was following his own heart and a human was involved." She paused, her face turning sad. "That's exactly what I never wanted. Please, I beg you, all of you, regardless of what side you're on: stop this. Show mercy."

sans stared into her eyes, unable to look away, feeling his soul deep within open up.

"By now, I know all of you have at least heard of the Ten Year Treaty I tried to introduce, as it's been posted online. I hope you will all read it, even if it doesn't pass. It's a pretty basic guideline for how us living together - truly together - can be achieved, and easily so. It can - and I hope some day will - work."

She paused, her hands going to her middle, and her eyes wavered. sans again felt another jab hit him deeper.

"I'm also sure you know I'm pregnant, with my husband Asriel's child." She looked to him, and Asriel was in the shot now, looking back at her with a tender love rarely seen on his face by anyone else but her. Her voice was soft as she went on, not looking away from him.

"Yes, my _husband."_ She looked back at the camera. "Though technically not legally married, he is still my husband. The Treaty addresses both interracial marriage and children, and though it may seem selfish, I don't mean it to."

Her eyes grew hard. "I know I'm not the only one, you see. Maybe the only one pregnant, but that, I'm certain, won't last long. That's why I'm urging every one of you - directly affected or not - to please, _please,_ contact your local municipal offices and demand that the Treaty is passed."

Papyrus looked over at sans, who stood entranced by Frisk's words. For obvious reasons, it made him sad, and with one gloved hand, he gently patted one of sans's clenched hands. sans looked at him briefly, and he looked grateful.

"For _our_ futures, we need this to pass," Frisk continued. "Once I'm well, I'll be back in the fray and fighting for all of us again. And once my daughter is born, I will fight even harder. Because I'm determined to change this world - just like I know many of you are, too. Please. I'm asking not just as your ambassador, but as someone just like you. Do something. Help make the change real."

She paused, swallowing hard, before nodding. "Thank you very much."

When the reporter came back on the screen to conclude, Papyrus muted the phone. "WANT TO WATCH IT AGAIN?"

sans shook his head. He already had it memorised, especially the look in Frisk's eyes and the sound of her voice.

"i think she just may have done it," he said softly. "i think she just made it work."

"I HOPE SO, BROTHER," Papyrus admitted. "I REALLY DO."

* * *

To the surprise of everyone, once the camera was turned off, Undyne was the one who hugged Frisk first, and hugged her tight. "That was _wonderful,_ punk!" she said happily, sounding a little tearful. Frisk blushed, looking unsure, but Undyne hugged harder, as if that made her words more true.

Asriel glowered, his own arms out already. "Can I please hug my wife, Undyne?"

"Get in line," Alphys broke in, hugging Undyne and Frisk together, which made Frisk laugh shakily and hug back.

The crew was packing up as everyone took turns hugging Frisk. When the final hug was hugged - Asgore - the reporter suddenly came by and said, rather shyly, "Ambassador, may I... shake your hand, please?"

This surprised everyone, especially Frisk. The crew was all human, after all, and though they were nice, none of them expected something like this.

"Of course," Frisk agreed, holding her hand out with a smile.

He shook it enthusiastically, saying, "I'm so honoured to do this, Ambassador. I was eager to, you see - I begged to be the one who would. I'm so glad I did. You're an amazing person, and I know you made a difference today. Thank you for letting me help you."

Frisk, to her embarrassment, teared up at this. "Th-thank you," she murmured. "For helping me, for giving me a chance."

When the crew left, Asriel finally hugged Frisk close, as by now she was in tears, though they were quiet. "Why are you crying, love?"

"I'm so happy," she admitted, which made everyone around her smile. "I want this to work, Asriel."

"It will," Asgore said, his own eyes now wet. "If it doesn't, then there's no hope for this world - which is something I personally choose not to believe is so."

"You really were wonderful, Frisk," Alphys agreed. "Completely genuine. That's important."

"You sounded like a true leader," Toriel added, her hand on Frisk's head lightly.

"Thank you..." Frisk murmured, her voice wavering. She lowered her head into Asriel's shoulder and cried, and her family gathered close.

* * *

Not much seemed to happen a few hours after the initial broadcast. However, everyone who had a phone posted it to their social media (Alphys did twice) and eventually, the emails and media alerts began assaulting Frisk's phone. Frisk, too nervous to read anything, handed her phone to Asriel, who took it.

He scrolled down the notifications, his face growing more and more pleased as he went on. Occasionally, he would scowl, but it wouldn't last, and he would be happy again.

"Frisk, my love," he said cheerfully. "You did it, I think. You have their support. Mostly, but the few who don't support you are idiots, so who cares about them?"

It was nighttime, now, and they were alone, which was why, currently, they were curled up on the bed together, Frisk carefully looking away as he read aloud some of the messages.

"'Ambassador, your speech changed my mind. Thank you,'" he began. "'Mrs Dreemurr--,'" Asriel grinned at that, "'--you and your husband have the support of my and my family.' 'I remember you from the Underground, pumpkin, and I wish you the best of luck.' So many are like this, love."

By the time he'd read at least ten similar messages, she was crying again, her hand over her eyes. Asriel set the constantly chiming phone aside and pulled her close. "What is it? Sad or happy tears?"

"Both," she sobbed out, burying her face into his shoulder. Asriel stroked her hair and kissed the tip of her nose. "It's okay," he reassured her.

"Asriel," she managed to say, "Do you think it's enough to change their minds?"

"If not, they're idiots," he replied easily. "Absolute idiots."

* * *

The following day, sans was led to the courtroom by both a human and a monster officer. He felt no fear or nervousness - just impatience and annoyance. He wanted to get this over with, do his time, and be done with it.

When he got there, he saw not just Alphys and Papyrus, but also Undyne, Asgore, and Toriel, surprising him into stumbling over his own feet. He had not expected _their_ support.

He was led into the centre of the room, and Papyrus flashed him a shaky thumbs-up.

The judge called for order and, with brief preamble, began. "Today we have the monster named sans standing for the crimes of aggravated assault and attempted murder. How do you plead, Mr sans?"

He sighed. "guilty." He was, after all, and had already admitted it before. There was no use in protesting it.

The judge nodded, clearly expecting this. "The evidence, including your own testimony, and that of your victim, the defendant, supports this."

The shooter, who sat to the left of sans, flashed a smug smile.

sans nodded, waiting, shifting his weight from foot-to-foot.

"However."

Both he and the shooter looked up in surprise.

"Considering the circumstances, I must also consider what led to this attack." The judge looked to the shooter. "Ms Peritova, you shot the Ambassador and her friend with the intent to kill. You do not deny this."

The shooter was silent, clearly unable to deny it but also unwilling to admit it, not wanting to further damn herself.

"Therefore, I've decided that Mr sans has already had time served--,"

The words were instantly met with reactions, varying from jubilant to outraged, especially from the shooter. The judge allowed the cacophony for about a minute before they banged the gavel and called for order.

"Mr sans has served his time," they repeated, "but with one condition: he must do community service, in the form of teaching."

sans was reasonably confused, but said nothing, still stunned by the result.

"The teaching will take place at Headmistress Dreemurr's school, teaching both humans and monsters about what his powers are, and what happens when one misuses that power."

sans's eyes widened. "uh, but, that's kind of impossible. the magic i use--,"

The judge glared him into silence, and he shut right up. "That is my sentence, Mr sans. You must do this for three years; otherwise you will be violating the conditions and will have to serve jail time. Understand?"

The judge looked at Toriel, who was sitting up straighter, now. "Does that suit you as well, Headmistress?"

"It does," she agreed, nodding.

"But this - this _thing_ tried to kill me!" the shooter protested hotly. "I got injured in my own cell because of him!"

"because you shot my friends," he answered, not even bothering to look at her.

"But--,"

Again, the gavel interrupted her. "Enough. These are my conditions. Do you accept them, Mr sans?"

"yes," he said at once.

"Then you are now free to go," was the reply. The judge then glared at the shooter. "Lock her back up. The less of her people see, the better."

Papyrus was at sans's side and hugging him before he could even blink. Undyne then hugged them both, and Toriel hugged _them_.

"damn," he croaked out. "that was a shocker, huh?"

* * *

When Frisk and Asriel saw sans walk in, they both yelped in surprise, and Frisk even tried to get up before Asriel stopped her.

"hey, frisk. hello, weed," he greeted as he walked over, grinning. "sup?"

"Holy _shit,"_ Asriel replied, and Frisk held out her arms and pulled sans into a hug before he could do anything else. It surprised him, and he hugged back after a moment, his eyes briefly closing as he did, his smile flickering just a bit.

"You got out!" Frisk said happily. "I'm so glad, sans!"

"Seriously," Asriel agreed. "All you did was what all of us wanted to do, anyway."

Frisk began to let go, but sans didn't, so she kept him there.

After a moment, he did let go, and she smiled at him. "Asriel's right. I'm so glad you didn't have to go to jail."

"i have to work for tori," he sighed. "that could be like jail."

"Oh, it is not," Frisk snorted, rolling her eyes.

"Don't talk about my mom that way, bastard!" Asriel added, though he didn't look too serious.

"being a teacher will be weird," sans admitted. "and i have to teach my attacks to students, which is kinda rude, even if it's just theory."

"I know why you have to, though," Frisk admitted. When he blinked at her, she explained. "It's so that kids grow up knowing who you are, and that, though you can be dangerous, they have nothing to fear from you. It therefore proves the idiots _wrong_ about you - and as a whole, monsters."

sans was surprised. "huh." It made perfect sense.

And, in the long run, it turned out to be exactly the truth.


	16. Thirteen: Somebody's Gotta Lose

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darian and Iggy Reden are the characters of PhalinRed and are used with permission.

Carlson was on TV again. "It was a gross miscarriage of justice," he was saying furiously. "Not only was a monster allowed in an accused suspect's cell - alone - but he was allowed to attack her within an inch of her life and walk away."

Asriel and Frisk were glowering by now, incensed by the lies.

The interviewer looked rather torn, clearly not comfortable with interviewing him. "She _did_ confess, Councillor, and she was alright in the end, her injuries mostly superficial. There were also countless eyewitnesses to the crime she committed, so to imply she was guiltless isn't exactly true."

"Innocent until proven guilty, is it not how it goes?" he answered hotly. "I'm not defending the suspect's actions--,"

"You had _me_ fooled," Frisk muttered.

"--but I'm definitely condemning the actions of that judge. A sentence served, when the monster's victim hasn't even been charged! It's ludicr--,"

Asriel turned the TV off, almost breaking the remote again - that was getting to be a very bad habit of his. Then he used a string of profanity to describe Carlson, which made Frisk laugh despite herself.

"Still no news about the Treaty's status, though," she said sadly. "It's been two days. Why haven't they even re-proposed it yet?"

"Because they need you, duh," Asriel replied easily. "You're the one who wrote it. It has to be you who rereads it."

"Sounds like a convenient excuse to me," she sighed. She was sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Most of all, she was frustrated that she was still in the hospital. She'd begun to take walks and no longer needed her oxygen tube, and had even managed to visit Iggy - who was almost _too_ quiet, now - but apparently, she still had to wait to go home.

"It is," Asriel agreed, "but once you get out of here, you can kick them around again."

"Well, then, today is your lucky day, Ambassador," Dr Thicke said as she breezed into the room, holding Frisk's chart with a smile. "You're clear to go home tonight."

Asriel and Frisk stared at her in shock. "Really?" Frisk wondered quietly, hardly believing it. "I can go home? Please?"

Dr Thicke laughed gently. "No need to beg," she replied. "You're all clear. I need to do one more check-up and to prescribe you some medication, but once that's done and you've had your final tests, then yes, you can go home."

Frisk was so happy she began to cry. She'd been in there for so long it had felt like _forever_ (though it was only about a week), so hearing this was like winning the lottery for her.

Dr Thicke went through the check-up carefully, especially when checking on Nicky. ("Big kid," she teased.) In the end, though Frisk was still hurting, she was cleared to go. After her final tests to check Nicky formally as well as the progress of her lung's healing, Dr Thicke came back and went though detailed instructions on how to care for her wound, as well as how to care for herself and Nicky in return.

The doctor concluded by giving Frisk a hug. "I'm glad you made it, Ambassador," she said. "We need you very much."

When she was gone, Asriel immediately began to pack her things, as she carefully got up - once unhooked from her IVs - to go and get washed up and changed into real clothes (well, sort of: pyjamas). When she came back, Asriel was already done, beaming happily. She smiled at him warmly, and he hugged her.

"Let's go home to Solace," he said softly, and she nodded happily. Asriel's arm went around her waist to support her, and together, they left that room - and its memories - behind, finally, and neither looked back, not even once.

* * *

The door - and the floor surrounding it - to Solace was covered in flowers and gift baskets, almost stretching across the hallway in all directions. Both of them stared at this, unable to figure out how to react, let alone how to get into their apartment.

"They always go overboard, our neighbours, don't they?" Asriel grumbled, but Frisk was teary-eyed.

"No, they're so sweet." She turned to him. "Let's bring them all in." He sighed, but she looked so happy that there was no way he could say no.

Together, they opened the door and took turns bringing in all of the gifts and flowers, Frisk placing them around the apartment as they did so. Soon, their modest home looked more like a gift shop - smelt like one, too - and Frisk was delighted.

Asriel sneezed a few times, the flowers sharp to his nose, but he didn't mind; seeing Frisk happy was well worth a few sneezes. She looked better already, though she was still a bit pale, and she walked with slow, shaky steps. Her eyes, however, were bright, and every so often she would cup her hands around her middle, staring at the gifts as if they were made of gold.

"Look, Nicky," she whispered. "Look at how many people already love you."

Asriel smiled, coming over and hugging her from behind, his arms slipping around her waist and his face dipping to her neck, closing his eyes and breathing in her scent. She leaned back against him with a deep sigh and a smile.

"They're for _you,_ Frisk," he murmured.

"And you," she replied, her own eyes closing. "For all three of us."

Asriel nodded, leaning closer, getting lost in her scent now and unable to help it. Frisk's hands slipped over his, holding tight, and she whispered, "You know what that does to me..." In response, he smiled and nuzzled closer, and she practically melted into his arms. "Asriel..."

"Yes, Frisk?" he whispered gently, slowly moving down the curve of her neck to her shoulder.

"I don't know if we can yet."

"I know," he agreed. "I just... want you to feel good is all."

"I do, always, with you," she answered, shifting back against him - and bringing a small gasp from him as she did so. She opened her eyes and said, "Asriel...?"

 _"Mrgh_... yes?"

"Take me to bed."

Asriel's eyes opened and he looked at her closely. She looked so full of desire, of love, that his heart sped up at once. She stared back up at him and saw just how much of what she truly felt was returned, and she reached up and kissed him.

It was careful, and slow, Frisk the one in charge so that she could judge the right way to go about without too much pain or strain. She did feel some pain, but she didn't care. She had touched death and wanted desperately to touch life, and with Asriel beneath her, moving with her, kissing her and holding her close, she finally felt it again at last. Something deep within her, that tight ball of fear, finally unraveled, and she felt alive again, truly alive - and it was wonderful.

Almost immediately after, she curled up and fell asleep beside him, even as she was still catching her breath. Asriel woke her briefly so that she took her medicine, which she did while half-asleep, before falling back into slumber at his side.

Asriel, however, was wide awake, holding her close to him and just listening to her breathe, his hands gently stroking her hair and stomach gently, staring into her face as he did. She looked so relaxed, so calm, that he felt such relief, something he hadn't felt ever since this had first began.

Before he went to sleep, he checked her stitches, replaced the bandage - all of this she slept through - and then made sure she was sitting up comfortably in his arms. He held her close, resting his cheek on her head, and soon, he too fell asleep.

The true sleep of relief. At last.

* * *

Yet, it wasn't over just yet. Thought the night was one of healing repose, the morning brought the reminder of things that still needed to be done, of how there was truly more that needed to be won.

Frisk woke up first, the pain in her chest waking her quite rudely. She took her medicine, then got up to eat, picking one of the baskets with cheese, crackers, and sausage, before making a nest for herself on the couch in front of the TV.

It was how Asriel found her, seated there munching on cracker sandwiches and watching the news. She didn't look upset; rather, she looked contemplative as she watched. Asriel scratched at his head as he joined her, and she grinned up at him, handing him one of her sandwiches, which he took and ate, surprised at how good it tasted.

"Looksh." She pointed with crumb-dusted fingers at the TV. Blinking, he did, and saw that it was of her at the press conference - the second one - and her speech. "Watchsh." She grinned wider, then started flipping channels randomly; every channel she tuned to featured the speech to some degree, either footage of it or of people talking about it. "Aweshome," she concluded.

Asriel eyed her closely. She actually looked happy, a dramatic change from how depressed she had been in the hospital. being at home was a huge improvement for her, and it showed. She knew she had to rest, but resting at home was much better than in a place like that.

He smiled at her. "Let me make you some _real_ food."

She scowled, gesturing to the gift basket. "This _is_ real food! Plus, uh..." She blushed. "I really, really wanted it for some reason."

Asriel laughed, unable to help it. Asgore had warned him about something like this. "Okay, well, I'm going to make some food. If you change your mind, let me know."

"Yesh. Fanks."

Frisk's good mood was somewhat spoilt when Carlson suddenly showed up on TV again, this time talking about his favourite topic: herself. "Now that the Ambassador is out, it's only a matter of time before she and her partner--,"

 _"Husband!"_ she snarled, startling said husband as he cooked.

"--will return to once again push their agenda on us, an agenda I know most of us do not want."

"I've gifts that beg to differ, _jackrabbit!"_

Asriel smiled. If Frisk was shouting at the TV, he knew she was feeling better, for sure.

"Therefore, I am calling on those of you who do not want this agenda - this abnormal, unnatural abomination of a treaty - to activity protest. contact those like me, come together, and we can stop this from passing, ever."

When the news anchor suddenly came back one, it was to silence from both Frisk and Asriel.

The news anchor spoke, but neither heard the words they were saying. Both no longer felt so happy anymore.

"He just... did he just...?" Asriel stammered.

"Yep. He pretty much just declared war," Frisk agreed, her face furious.

"Is he _crazy?!"_ Asriel demanded, his food forgotten for the moment. "What does he think will come of saying something like _that?!"_

"Oh, I dunno," Frisk grumbled, shoving another sandwich into her mouth. "Dissenshion. Anger. Revolsh." She swallowed. "All of the things he knows I don't want and am fighting both tooth and nail to prevent."

"But _why?!_ What has he got against monsters - against _you?!"_

"If I knew, I'd tell you, my love," she muttered darkly. "And I'd go and make it right."

Asriel finished cooking and went to sit beside her. She eyed his plate as he began to eat. "But _this,"_   he said, waving his fork at the TV. "What do we do with _this?"_

"What we _always_ do," she said. "Stand and fight."

Asriel stared at her, truly admiring her at that moment. She, however, eyed his omelette rice hungrily, and he smiled and offered her a generous forkful. She smiled, took it, and closed her eyes as she chewed, clearly pleased.

"You're right, Frisk," he said, watching her eat and vowing to never let any more harm come to her. "We'll stand and fight."

* * *

From the hospital, sitting at the beside of his brother, Darian Reden had just finished watching Carlson's speech. With narrowed eyes, he gave Iggy's hand a gentle squeeze before getting to his feet, grabbing his coat, and storming out.

He knew what Carlson's problem was. And he was going to solve it once and for all.


	17. Fourteen: Like The Stars Chase The Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Darian and Iggy Reden are still characters of PhalinRed and are used with permission.

When the phone rang in the early morning, it was Frisk who picked it up.

It was a full day after Carlson's frustrating words, and they'd seen an increase of hate mail shortly after.

However, little came of it, despite that.

Frisk was still wary, despite that, and she was immediately awake when the phone rang. She grabbed it and answered.

"Uh, Ambassador? Sorry. My brother gave me this number, and..."

Frisk blinked, then recognised the voice - similar to another one she knew better. "Darian? Darian Reden?"

"Yeah," said Darian. Was it her imagination, or did he sound worried?

"Is it Iggy? Is he okay?"

"Huh? Yeah, of course. It's just..." He hesitated. "Sorry, I know it's early, but I couldn't sleep, and I needed to ask you. You see, I think I'm gonna need a new job, and soon, and I was kinda hoping you'd help."

Frisk was silent for a moment. She suddenly had a very bad feeling. "But... aren't you a cop?"

"Well, about that... probably not for much longer."

Asriel was awake now, and was listening in beside her. He also looked confused. "Hold on," said Frisk. "Mr Reden, can you start from the beginning?"

He did. And he was right: he was going to need another job.

* * *

They met for breakfast, Darian looking tired but also oddly satisfied, despite his face occasionally falling into something almost guilty-looking. It was very confusing to watch.

Asriel spoke first, once they had sat down and had their drinks. _"Are you insane?!"_ he said incredulously.

Frisk shot him a glare, especially when Darian shifted, looking away, his grip on his coffee tightening.

"Sorry, Darian," Frisk said gently. "What he meant to say was, why did you do it?"

His eyes narrowed, still not looking at them. "It should be obvious." He said it shortly.

"Yes, for Iggy," Frisk agreed. "But why _that_ way? Why at all? There are other ways to help Iggy, as well as find some way to get back at Carlson."

"It doesn't matter," Darian answered, staring down into his mug now. "It's done. If he tells, he has no evidence, and even if anyone believes him, he'll look like a complete ass - and that's me being nice, here."

"So then, why quit?" Asriel crossed his arms, his eyes narrowed. "You're not going to get caught, and you're not going to get fired."

Darian sighed. "I can't work there anymore, not honestly, after this."

When their food arrived, there was a brief lull in the conversation as they ate.

When she could, Frisk said, "I can talk to Ma."

Asriel dropped his fork and stared at her, his mouth full.

Darian shared a similar look, but luckily he had just swallowed. "No, that's not what I mean before. I meant some kind of reference from you, or some kind of leg-up in a kind of pencil pushing job, one of those..."

Frisk held up her hand. "I know, but I won't be able to substitute or help my mother when I go on maternity leave. sans will be able to help lesson the load with his community service, but there's a lot I like to do and sans is kind of..." She trailed off, deciding to take a bite over finishing.

"A lazy ass," Asriel finished with a grin. Frisk was about to protest, but sighed instead, unable to argue it. she nodded, instead.

Darian stared at Frisk, his eyes wide. "You're serious, aren't you?"

She nodded. "Of course I am. I can talk to Ma, and she can contact you and find a place for you. Plus, I'm sure Iggy will like it, too."

Asriel nodded with her, suddenly liking the idea. "True. He's gone kind of... quiet, hasn't he?"

Darian looked down at his food this time, and Asriel apologised, but Darian shook his head. "Nah, you're right. He has."

"Give him time," Frisk advised softly. "It's scary, when you stand on that edge." Asriel bit his lip, and Darian nodded slowly. "In the meantime, I'll talk to my mother and ask. I won't mention anything about what we discussed today. Instead, I'll tell her you want to do it to be close to Iggy - which is also the truth, isn't it? Does that work?"

Darian nodded again. "Yes, Ambassador. Thank you." He paused, about to say more, a look of guilt flickering over his face, but she cut him off, holding her hand up with a smile.

"Please," she said, "Just call me Frisk."

* * *

When Frisk spoke to Toriel, the Headmistress was surprised, but was also oddly grateful.

"Actually, all of this terrible misfortune has given me a way to make peace with it; we need a kind of class that teaches about how human law works, and how it differs from monster law, as well as a way to find middle ground. I wonder if Mr Reden would be a good match for that." She paused. "Do you think he'd object?"

It turned out that he did not.

* * *

When Carlson resigned, citing health issues, a day later, everyone save a handful of people were surprised. He did look terrible, looking haggard and in pain, but Asriel and Frisk watched with little sympathy.

"Though I will be stepping down from politics publicly," he was saying, his eyes hard, "I will still be continuing my campaign against the ever-increasing agenda that the Ambassador has to equal all of us to monsters, when we all know such a thing is not only impossible, but _ridiculous_. I promise you th--,"

Asriel finally broke the remote.

(Frisk had expected that at some point, and calmly pulled out one of three replacements for him to use once he calmed down.)

"I was so _sure,"_ Asriel growled. "I was _so sure_ that Darian's actions would scare him completely away from you."

"Don't worry." Frisk said, her own eyes hard. "With him gone from office, we - and the Treaty - have a much better chance, now."

* * *

The wait, however, was the worst.

She had two weeks to go through for recovery before she could go back to actual work. Press was now a mixed bag of both support and antagonism, so she still had to keep her head down - especially for Nicky's sake. Two weeks made a difference in regards to her, as well.

"You're... rounder," Asriel said one night, close to the end of her time off.

He had been sitting beside her, playing a game on his phone, when he took a brief break to give her a gentle caress - only to say this once his hand trailed over her belly.

"Mm... sh, book." said Frisk, barely looking up from it. "Besides. Not true."

"No, I'm serious! You are!"

She put her book down and sighed. "No, I doubt it. It's only been three weeks all told that we've known I'm pregnant. That's barely enough time for a physical difference. Now sh."

Asriel scowled and grabbed her book away, which earned him a scowl of her own. "I'm not lying! You're forgetting your kid is also a monster! And now you're, what, closer to two and a half, three months? Out of six, Frisk! _Six!"_

"Six," Frisk repeated, now looking unsure. She'd forgotten that there was an entire part of the pregnancy she wouldn't have; there were no trimesters for her.

Carefully, she rubbed her own hand over her stomach, and blushed immediately. He was right; Nicky was definitely bigger. "Oh. Sorry."

"Told you!" he said smugly, and she gave his nose a tap, which earned her an indignant protest.

Then he suddenly sat up, his eyes wide and on her, and he grabbed her hand. "Wait, Frisk." He sounded panicked. "Frisk, what if, when you get back to work next week, what if someone tries to - what if they try to hurt you again?"

Frisk smiled. "It's okay. I have one of those bullet-proof vests for both myself and to place over Nicky - even as she grows." She looked down, her smile fading. "Darian suggested it, and I agreed. I never want to go through that ever again."

Asriel hugged her close. "Me, either," he agreed, his eyes closed.

* * *

This time, there was no press conference, nor was there even a formal meeting.

Frisk simply placed the folder holding the stack of papers on the podium, stared into the mayor's eyes, and said, "This is my proposal for the new treaty. Please consider it, and, if you choose, let it pass."

And she sat down again, the folder accepted by the mayor and placed aside, before business went on as usual. There were protests, but only outside the building, and there was no one in the building that protested. There were no shouts, no gunshots, not even a pie. No, her words were met with formal words and no commitment - but then, there was no protest from them, either, no initial rejection.

Though everyone was relieved, Frisk wondered if it meant something, and it was something that was right in front of her that she just didn't see yet - or perhaps refused to. But the harder she looked, the less she found.

* * *

Once she could, Frisk immediately started to work through her pregnancy, still going in when she could to check the treaty's status, as well as acting as liaison - her main job - between humans and monsters. The monsters were always thrilled to see her, especially when her pregnancy became rather obvious. The humans were a bit more wary, however, seeing her either as a good sign of happier times to come, or a bad sign of what could only get worse. She knew it would take time, and the more she spent out talking to people would help her along.

It also helped that, despite his threats, Carlson was oddly civil. His social media still held anti-monster sentiment, but nothing was directed towards her, not even indirectly. He still caused tension and protests, but never the uprisings or revolts that Frisk and Asriel feared.

It was only when she was a month away from giving birth that she gave him ammunition to work with. And it wasn't even her fault.

* * *

She'd been visiting New New Home, helping Toriel write out a few ideas for several lesson plans for both sans and Darian, as well as what she usually taught as TA, when suddenly, in mid-sentence, Frisk paused, her face draining of blood and her hand going to her stomach, where she felt a sharp bite of pain. When she realised it wasn't going away - only getting worse - she tried to meet Toriel's gaze and warn her, but when she opened her mouth, she felt a sharper jab to her chest, and everything went black at once.

When she woke up, slowly, frustratingly so, she was expecting to be lying in her old bedroom to rest, Toriel hovering over her worriedly, or even Asgore. But when she opened her eyes, she was struck with terror when she realised where she was: the hospital.

"N-no," she whispered fearfully, her hands reaching down. When her shaking fingers landed on swollen belly, she shut her eyes again, but couldn't the fact that she was shaking.

"Frisk."

She turned, and there was Asriel, who reached out and took one of her trembling hands. She stared at him, speechless, her eyes wide, and she shook her head.

"It's okay," he said gently. "It's okay. Nicky is okay, and so are you. You're just here as a formality, okay?"

When she nodded, the words finally breaking through that terror, he smiled gently and went on.

"Dr Thicke thinks she kicked scar tissue, or something like that. Nicky did, I mean." He frowned, trying to remember the details, but ended up shrugging. "She can explain it later. It just means, uh..."

Suddenly he looked wary, unsure of how to go on. "This isn't me saying it, so please don't get mad, but it means you need to be on bedrest until Nicky is born."

Frisk stared at him, suddenly feeling very, very different. "I'm sorry," she said slowly. "What?"

"Uh. Bedrest," he repeated carefully. "If Nicky kicks you again like that, you need to be on bedrest, to prevent risk of injury to either of you."

She closed her eyes, then sighed. "Whatever." Her eyes opened. "And she's okay?"

Asriel suddenly lit up, gripping her hand tight. "She's doing wonderfully!" he exclaimed, instantly excited. "She's _thriving,_ Frisk! Even though bedrest really sucks, Nicky is doing well, so well that even Dr Thicke is impressed!"

Frisk smiled, her shaking now gone. She reached out and touched his cheek. "I can't wait to meet her, Frisk," he admitted. "I can't wait!"

As it turned out, he didn't have to. Not too long, anyway.

* * *

When he found out, Carlson used this as evidence that she was not only unfit to be the Ambassador, but a mother, as well. She took it well enough, though she was angry. She knew it wasn't her fault, and that none of this would be happening if the Treaty had been presented normally, but there was nothing she could do. She wouldn't stoop to his level, instead writing a post on her page about what happened and why. More often than not, as a result, she found that people were on her side, for which she was grateful.

Support was growing steadily. It would reach a new peak a week later - and she almost never got to see it.


	18. Fifteen: Over The Glowing Hill, I Will Conquer

"I think I'm bored," Frisk said, her voice strained, curling up against Asriel's side.

"I know," he said, wrapping his arms around her carefully.

It was two weeks into her bedrest and she was absolutely going crazy from the boredom. When the doctor said bedrest, she meant it; thus Frisk was only allowed up for bathroom breaks, showers, and to stretch. None of that was enough at all for Frisk, who was used to running around a lot. Both of her jobs involved a lot of activity, so to be reduced to nothing was... _irritating_ , to say the least.

"Asriel..." she said. "I feel weird. Maybe I need to go back to work."

"No," he said automatically; she'd already asked earlier that day. She didn't sleep much at night anymore, and tended to randomly nap at odd times, especially during the day. It was early morning, now, still dark, so Asriel said softly, "Try to rest, okay?"

"I can't rest. I can't sleep," she answered, sounding frustrating. "I feel restless and twitchy."

Asriel sighed, gently rubbing her stomach, and she growled a bit, knowing that this meant she was stuck where she was. Yet, she did feel weirder than usual and she found herself more irritable as a result.

"Asriel..."

"You _are_ kinda twitchy..." he suddenly agreed.

"Yeah, I know!" she said angrily. _"I know!_ I can't stop - _look!"_ She held out her arms and showed him; they were indeed twitching, even her fingers. "I hate it!" She let her arms drop with a grunt, her eyes shut. "Mami never said anything like this happening!"

Asriel was much more awake, now. He eyed her closer. "Frisk, are you okay? You do seem a little... weird."

"I need a walk!" she snapped, kicking her sheets off with twitching legs, and she stormed from the room.

Asriel stared after her, then slowly got up to follow, despite the hour. He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone at the moment.

Frisk was pacing in front of the bathroom, shaking her hands out as if that would help them stop, her weird feeling only increasing with time. It was as if she had patches of heat moving around under her skin, and it wouldn't stop.

Asriel stood in the doorway. "Talk it out with me, Frisk," he said gently. It was what he always said when she was stuck on something.

"I feel weird, and I have heartburn, and I'm so tired but I can't get comfortable, and I don't want to sleep, anyway..." She looked pale, and it bothered him. Asriel stopped her and she leaned against him heavily.

"Asriel, I feel..." She shut her eyes and buried her face into his shoulder, grabbing at the front of his pyjama shirt. "Strange."

"It's okay," Asriel said softly, rubbing her back gently. "Why not try using the bathroom?"

"It's not _that!"_ she snapped. "I feel weird, Asriel, and I'm scared!"

"Okay, it's okay." He held her close. "Do you want to talk to the doctor?"

She was silent for her moment, and one of her hands went to her chest. "Y-yes," she agreed, feeling her hands shaking. "I'm scared."

Asriel nodded again and led her back to their bedroom, where she sat back down on their bed and hunched over, her head in her hands. Asriel called Dr Thicke and told her what was going one.

"Alright," said Dr Thicke slowly, obviously just waking up. "Let's bring her into my clinic. I'll take a look at her."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. It sounds as if... Well, as if she's early. On her way. It sounds to me like she's close to labour."

Asriel was silent, stunned.

Frisk looked up, saw his face, and sat up. "What's going on?" she demanded.

"Mr Dreemurr, tell your wife the truth and I'll meet you there in an hour, okay?"

"Sure," he said, before he hung up. He dropped it into his lap and turned to Frisk. "We have to go in. Don't panic!" She looked ready to, her arms around her middle protectively. "Dr Thicke just wants to check on you. She thinks it's time."

Frisk's eyes widened. "Really?" she whispered.

He nodded.

She got to her feet, grabbed a handful of clothes, and rushed to the bathroom. "Let's go! Get packed while I'm showering! Let's get this done!"

Asriel probably should have expected that.

* * *

"You need to calm down," Dr Thicke told Frisk, who was now pacing in her office as she listened. "That helps no one."

"It's helping _me_ ," Frisk answered honestly. "Why does it matter? Why hasn't my water broken yet? Why is she early?"

Dr Thick waited patiently for her to stop asking before she answered. "You're okay, Frisk. You're coming along fine. She's early, she's still on her way, alright?"

Frisk nodded. "Yes."

"But we need to go to the hospital, because that's where we need to be if it's time. Are you going to be okay there?"

"Yes."

"Alright." Dr Thicke looked over at Asriel meaningfully. "Make sure she gets there, okay? I'll meet you there. Let's go."

* * *

"I hate it here," Frisk murmured as Asriel gently held her hand. She was sitting up in one of the lounge chairs, but she looked anything but comfortable. "I hate it here. I'm scared."

Asriel pulled his chair closer. "I'm right here," he reminded her. "I'm not going anywhere unless you want me to."

Frisk grabbed onto his hand tight, her other hand on her stomach. "Asriel, I've been... hurting."

Asriel sat up. "Where, and how long?"

"Since this started... in my chest. I didn't want to say anything because I thought it was heartburn, but it's starting to hurt a lot..." She looked down, wincing. She looked very scared.

"Do you want someone to see you?"

She nodded, and he got to his feet. He went and found a monster nurse, who followed him back, their face carefully expressionless. Their hands went over Frisk's stomach, and by then Frisk was gritting her teeth, unable to help it.

"Your baby's okay," the nurse said gently. "She's doing really well, Ambassador." Frisk nodded. Their hands trailed up to her chest and paused. "You've had this pain in your chest before?"

"A few times," Frisk agreed, closing her eyes. "Please. When it gets bad, I can't stay awake too long..."

"Breathe, Frisk," Asriel broke in gently, and she did, grabbing onto his hand tight.

The nurse turned to him with a worried expression. "I'll just go get Dr Thicke," said the nurse, before walking quickly away.

"It hurts..." Frisk murmured, wincing and leaning back into the chair, a hand to her chest. "Asriel..."

"The doctor's coming," he said, trying to keep his voice steady. He felt anything but. "Don't worry."

But Dr Thicke came a moment too late, and by the time she did, Frisk had passed out, Asriel trying to wake her, two nurses trying to do the same - to no avail.

* * *

"I was afraid this would happen," admitted Dr Thicke. "I thought, with some time and strict rest, we'd see some improvement, but..."

Asriel struggled to stay calm.

They'd stabilised Frisk and was keeping her asleep now. They had woken her up only once to find she was still in unbearable pain: she'd panicked and started to hyperventilate from it, and they'd had to sedate her.

Nicky was okay, likely woozy like her mother but with no inkling of the pain she was inadvertently causing.

"It's not normal, that chest pain," Dr Thicke said. "It's because of her wound, and also because she's a human, carrying a half-monster child."

"But Mom said it could - and _had_ \- been done before!"

"Yes, but the pregnancy was fast, and Frisk is smaller than average. We have two options, both that carry risks and could end up badly, but one of them has a better chance of working."

"Okay," Asriel murmured, holding Frisk's hand tight. "Tell me."

"We wake her up and she attempts to have Nicky the normal way. She could end up in too much pain to cope, or it could hurt her internally if we misjudge anything. Or, we do what's called a cesarean section, and cut Nicky out of her through a single incision to her belly. She'll scar, and need to be on bedrest again for a while. But of the two, the second is the best action, one I strongly urge we go with, for both of their sakes."

"The second one, then," he agreed. "Yes."

He looked at Frisk, listening to the two heartbeats being monitored, and had to choke back his tears. "Just... do what it takes to save them."

Suddenly, he felt a wave of fury fill him, and he looked to Dr Thicke with narrowed eyes. _"Or else."_

Dr Thicke felt something then, a visceral fear at seeing a certain light in his eyes, but she managed to overcome it. "I understand. I need you to wait outside, though."

He was already hugging Frisk to him gently, his eyes closed. He was terrified, not wanting to lose either of them. He wished she was awake, so that she could tell him a joke or tease him, or to even hear him when he told her how much he loved her, so much...

But she wasn't.

* * *

An hour had everyone at the hospital. Another had them worried.

Toriel and Asgore, Alphys and Undyne, Papyrus, sans, and Mettaton, all had managed to get there before the news became public. Asriel paced, chewing his nails to the quick, but no one stopped him. (Mettaton had tried and got shoved, and no one else decided to risk it after that.) Asgore was being supported by Toriel, who looked steely-eyed but also scared. Alphys and Undyne sat together, trying to keep conversation going, and Mettaton helped, but nothing worked, not even for Papyrus, who was also worried about sans; sans stood away from them, staring at the wall with his back to them in silence, and nothing would bring him away from it.

It was tense, so when the third hour was close to ending and Dr Thicke rushed into the room, everyone jumped, and Asriel immediately went to her side. Wordlessly, she hugged him, surprising everyone - including him.

"Hello, new dad," she said when she let go. "Your kid is waiting."

"B-but--,"

She cut him off with a wave, leading him down the hallway without another word. He followed, his heart racing, tears already flowing.

When he reached the room, two sights met him: Frisk, and Nicky. Frisk was propped up by a great deal of pillows, resting on them heavily, and Nicky was resting in her arms, supported by another pillow in her lap. Frisk was awake, her forehead to Nicky's, her eyes dark but her smile bright.

 _"Oh,"_ Asriel sobbed, rushing to them so quickly it startled Frisk. She looked up at him, her eyes brightening up, happy. He wordlessly curled up next to her on the cot and buried his face into her shoulder, sobbing. He put one arm around her waist, the other around the pillow in her lap.

"Hey," she said softly. "Say hi to your daughter, dummy."

He pulled away, turning at last to Nicky, who was wide awake and staring at him with eyes like his own. She was covered in downy white fur, like him, but she also had hair like Frisk's, only a lighter brown. She was small, her nose like his but smaller, her ears like Asriel's but a bit smaller.

She was, in short, perfect.

Asriel was still crying when he reached out, touched her cheek, and whispered, "Hi, Nickname."

Frisk smiled, her eyes closed, her head resting back on the pillows, as Asriel and Nickname stared at each other, both recognising each other and feeling so much love.

Dr Thicke gave them a moment, then came over. "It was a good procedure, Asriel. Frisk will be okay with a few more weeks of rest."

Frisk made a face at this.

"And Nickname is doing wonderfully, as you can see. Had her first meal quite easily." Frisk smiled in confirmation, nodding. "And when Frisk recovers, you'll both be just fine."

"Free and fine..." Frisk murmured, and Asriel kissed her, unable to help it.

"Can you go back and tell everyone that? Before they destroy the place?" Asriel wondered. "I don't want to leave here just yet, if that's okay."

She nodded and left.

Frisk laughed softly, leaning down over Nicky again and giving her a kiss on her forehead. Two little hands reached up, and one grabbed some of her hair, which made her laugh again.

Asriel was still crying, his hand reaching down to touch Nicky's soft, wispy hair - and could feel tiny hard nubs beneath. "Oh!" he said, unable to help it, and she nodded.

"Truly your kid," she replied.

He kissed her again, then kissed Nicky's forehead, also getting grabbed at - his ears - and he laughed this time, so happy.

Frisk watched him, thrilled by his happiness, but also by the sudden reality hitting her all at once: they were parents. Nickname was here, in her arms, and alive and well - and so was she. Asriel was now leaning backwards, laughing again when Nicky grabbed his ear, and despite the pain, and how scared she'd been, she'd do it all again - just to hear that laugh.

* * *

Half an hour later, after everyone had had a chance to visit and meet Nicky, only four - not including Nicky, who was now sleeping in her cradle beside them - remained: Toriel, Asgore, Frisk and Asriel. As Nicky slept, so did Frisk, exhausted by the entire ordeal as well as the visiting, and the remaining three were watching the TV muted with captions, barely able to turn away. Toriel had received a text from sans to do so, and now they knew why.

They were watching live coverage of the Ten Year Treaty being passed into law.

Toriel was holding Asriel's hand tight, her face beaming and her eyes full. Asgore stood behind her, hands on her shoulders, his own eyes wide with shock. Asriel was trying to stifle his crying, unable to help it.

But it was real. It was finally being passed - and on Nicky's birthday, of all times. Or perhaps, the perfect time.

"She did it," Asriel whispered. "She actually did it!"

His parents nodded, unable to help it. They were so proud.

Nickname Dreemurr's future, the day it began, was also secured.


	19. Epilogue: Oh, The Queen Of Peace

"And that's why we always have a big party on your birthday," Frisk concluded.

Nicky was on her lap, curled up and a bit sleepy, now, but her eyes were still opening and she was still listening.

"And why we're celebrating, today."

"I'm five today?"

"Yes, dear."

"So that's how long we've been... free and fine, Mami?"

Frisk hugged her close, so close Nicky giggled. "Yes, my dear."

"That was a good story, Mami," Nicky concluded, looking up at Frisk with a smile. "Can I hear it again?"

Frisk laughed. "Maybe next year, okay?"

Asgore opened the back door and smiled brightly. "Howdy! Ready to eat?"

Frisk stood up with Nicky in her arms, until Nicky squirmed free and hugged Asgore tight.

"Howdy, Ehmpa!" she replied happily.

"Good timing," Frisk nodded, joining in on the hug and succeeding in making him blush.

"Well, come on in, then," he said, patting each of them on the head with a smile. "We're just finishing up."

Dinner consisted mostly of Nicky's favourite foods: snail pie, seaweed ice cream, and ramen noodles. There was also butterscotch-cinnamon pie and green tea ice cream specifically for Frisk, who smiled when she saw them.

When they all sat down to eat, Frisk couldn't help looking at her family - truly look at them - with so much love.

Five years had seen great change after the Treaty passed. There was some predictable backlash, especially from Carlson and his fellows, but there was never an attempt on Frisk's life again - at least none that she knew of.

sans had finished his community service, though he sometimes found himself substituting whenever he was needed, with little to no protests.

Darian Reden's class became one of the more popular courses at Toriel's school. (Iggy did recover, but wasn't his usual self after all the same - not completely.)

Once they could, Frisk and Asriel had married municipally, finally, and she could finally call him 'husband' and know it was legal on all sides. There were no more thrown things at either of them, and when she could, Frisk finally went back to work.

Asriel decided with Frisk that he would stay home with Nicky until she was old enough for school, something that surprised no one, especially when both he and Nicky thrived from it. Nicky adored her father, and was adored right back.

Undyne and Alphys had waited three years before even beginning to try and have a child of their own. After a bit over a year, Alphys was finally - and currently very - pregnant, and both were thrilled about it, as was Frisk. She was eager not only to see her friends finally have a baby, but also see that baby and watch her grow up surrounded by such a wonderful family like she had - and like Nicky was now.

She heard Nicky laugh, now, and saw that Asriel had put whipped cream on the tip of her nose, and she was now trying to lick it off - and failing. Instead of being mad, she just giggled, using her hand and licking it off her fingers instead, which made both her parents and grandparents laugh.

"SANS," Papyrus was saying. "YOU BROUGHT KETCHUP."

"and mustard," sans agreed.

Suddenly, they both had Alphys's attention. "Er..." she said, blushing, her hand already reaching out a bit. "C-can I borrow some... ketchup?"

"Alphy," Undyne sighed. "Don't do it."

sans handed her the bottle and she did do it: she opened it and drank from it, unable to resist it. Undyne covered her face and groaned, and sans was laughing.

"i'm gonna like this kid," he concluded.

"UNDYNE, WHY DOES SHE DO THAT?!" Papyrus demanded.

Frisk grinned and met Alphys's gaze. Alphys lowered the ketchup and handed it back to sans - now half-empty. Frisk understood her, and though Alphys knew, she was still blushing.

"She's pregnant," was all Undyne could say, really, though now she was also smiling.

"Hm," Asgore broke in, nodding. "I remember when Tori was pregnant. Oh, golly..." He laughed. "She loved--,"

 _"No,_ Gorey!" Toriel snapped, holding her fork up between them. "Don't you _dare!"_

"--chocolate sauce," he finished, grinning. "Had to buy bottles and bottles of it, and she put it on almost everything, even in soup!"

When this was met with laughter, Toriel overheated his drink and heated up his utensils, scarlet and embarrassed. That only earned more laughter, especially when Asgore ate with his hands in reply.

Frisk quickly looked down, feeling her eyes burned a bit from a sudden onslaught of emotion. Asriel's hand was on hers at once, and she looked up at him, truly gazing closely at him as if seeing him for the first time. She bit her lip; he was staring at her with a similar emotion clear in his eyes.

"You okay?" he asked gently. Nicky peered over and looked at her, smiling, still with a bit of whipped cream on her nose. "Mami?"

Frisk smiled back, so wide it hurt her cheeks. "I'm perfect," she replied.

**THE END**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that concludes the story arc I called the "Delilah" arc. As I wrote, I discovered I still had a few more stories to tell, so while this IS the last major work, I'm sure, there are still a few more fics and ficlets in me. So keep an eye out; I've already got one written ;D.
> 
> Thank you so much if you got this far. You mean the world to me and I so appreciate it. I have to thank nth, KING ELI, and PhalinRed especially for commenting frequently and keeping me going. You're awesome!
> 
> See ya next time!


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